Conquering the Champion
by Supreme Distraction
Summary: The Champions from each region met once every year at Resort Gorgeous on the Sevii Islands for a bit of R&R. When Lance can't make it one year he asks his cousin and Gym Leader of Blackthorn City, Clair, to act as his stand-in. Strange how a simple favor could lead to something so wonderful. ClairxCynthia; Yuri. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Prologue: Meeting the Champion

Hello! And welcome to what is likely the first of quite a few Pokémon fics brought to you by **Supreme Distraction **and Co. I'm new to the neighborhood so let me know what you think ;D

_/Flashback/_

_'Thoughts'_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokémon. It is game (anime/manga) that has been destroyed completely (anything later than the 3rd gen with the exception of some of the 4th gens is a terrible loss; therefore, I will not be using a lot of the younger Pokémon) by Nintendo's everlasting greed. That being said, I will be borrowing as I see fit from those three realms to bring you the prologue of _"Conquering the Champion"_:

**-Meeting the Champion-**

_/ Blackthorn was a sleepy little city cut into the rock face of a mountain. It was also the final stop in a Trainer's journey before they could hope to challenge the Elite Four, thus it was equipped more for resting and refueling rather than living in: there was a Move Deleter and Move Tutor in addition to a Poké Mart and Pokémon Center. Of course there was the Blackthorn City Gym where, after a grueling battle against the lovely Clair, the eighth and final Gym Leader in the Johto region, one could earn the Rising Badge._

_Underneath the city sprawled a giant lake that was home to a handful of Dragon-type Pokémon under the protection of the Dragon User Clan and at the center of that lake sat a shrine shaped like a Chinese pagoda with red walls and an olive-shingled roof. _

_The little building shook as its front door was slammed open. _

"_Master Lance!" one of the Shrine maidens chastised, frowning. "There are people meditating. Please do not disturb the peace."_

"_Sorry," the Indigo League Champion apologized impatiently, yellow eyes sweeping around the small room. Shrine maidens sat in rows on either side with their heads bowed, backs to the door, and the Dragon Clan Elder sat at the head of the procession at the rear of the room, but the person he was looking for wasn't there. "Elder, have you seen Clair?"_

_The wizened old man opened his eyes to regard one of his best students. "She's the same place she always his, my child. That girl never rests."_

_Sketching a quick bow in thanks, Lance hustled out of the building, his cape fluttering in his wake. He came to the edge of the dock and pulled a Poké Ball, currently the size of a ping pong ball, from his belt, pressed the button on the front so that it swelled to the size of a baseball and tossed it into the chop; it released spikes of crimson energy that both propelled it back to the carmine-haired Trainer's palm and released the gargantuan blue-scaled serpentine Pokémon—a Gyarados—slumbering within._

"_Gyaaaarrrr," it roared, lowering its head so that its master could hop aboard. The pair headed in the direction of a thin mist that rose from the water's surface until they came to its source: a waterfall crashed into the lake, churning the waters and sending off clouds of vapor._

_Sitting cross-legged under the aqueous curtain atop a large, smooth stone was a young woman with light blue hair caught up in a ponytail. She didn't seem to mind the spray, despite the fact that the white yukata she donned, similar to the ones that the shrine maidens commonly wore, had been soaked through and clung to her body like a second skin. _

"_Hey, Clair!" Lance called, grabbing onto the spine that jutted from his Pokémon's brow to stop his self from falling. "CLAIR!"_

"_The Blessed User of Dragon Pokémon" as she was called opened a single aquamarine orb to survey her visitor, irritation clear in her expression. "Lance… You're as noisy as ever."_

_He laughed, the sound a boisterous bark of amusement. Despite being the younger of the two, she had always been the more serious one. "Good to see you, too, cousin. I have a favor to ask you."_

_Clair sighed, the sound drowned out by the roar of the falls, and rose to her feet. She gave Lance an expectant look and the Gyarados lowered its head obediently, closing its eyes happily a moment later when the young woman rubbed its snout. The red-head offered her a hand, but she ignored him, easily leaping aboard all on her own. _

"_You only ever come to visit when you want something," she said accusingly, not really bothered by the fact. She loved her cousin, but he was just too much sometimes. "Take me to the grotto. I left my things there."_

_The grotto was a portion of the underground caverns that connected to the ocean. Here, the water—a mixture of salt and fresh—was deeper and shone with the light of a collection of submerged Chinchou and Staryu; there was a miniature island with a temple for stone prayer cards where Blackthorn's inhabitants had recorded their hopes and dreams. _

_Clair fetched her signature blue romper and gray cape along with her Poké Balls from a little lockbox hidden beneath the structure. She was about to climb back onto the Gyarados's when something sleek and blue erupted from the water and attached itself to her wrist: a Dratini._

"_Well… hello," she said, surprised. Normally one didn't find Dragon-types this deep in the caverns—especially ones so young. The little Pokémon chirped, tail wiggling. It released a little purr when the Gym Leader stroked one of the little white fins on the side of its face, a rare little smile on full lips. "Aren't you precious?"_

_She had already raised three other Dratini into Dragonair—elegant serpentine Pokémon with delicate facial ridges shaped like a cherub's wings—so she knew how wonderful these Pokémon could be. The Dragon user had a love of beautiful things._

_Lance grinned. He loved seeing the gentler side of his cousin, uncommon though it was. "So, about my favor…" /_

And that was how Clair found herself aboard the S.S Ann, bound for the Sevii Islands along with the Champions from the other regions: Gary Oak from Pallet Town, Steven Stone from Mossdeep City, Wallace from Sootopolis City, Cynthia from Celestic Town, Alder from Floccesy Town, and Iris from the Village of Dragons.

The Champions, each coming from a different region of the world, met every year to discuss the up-and-coming trainers as well as strategies for battle. Lance should have been the representative from Johto, but something had come up which had, of course, lead to this "favor".

He had claimed that Clair was the only one qualified enough to take his place but the blue-haired woman knew it was more because he wanted to make sure he wouldn't be embarrassed in front of his peers. His cousin, though headstrong and outspoken, had a strong sense of honor and decency and would be on her best behavior.

What a pain.

Speaking of pains… The Dratini from the night before had taken a liking to the Dragon user and refused to be separated from its new mistress, going so far as to breaking out of every single Poké Ball Clair had tried to get it to stay in. It was wrapped around her wrist now, wide purple eyes peering at everything curiously.

"I should really come up with a name for you," the Gym Leader muttered. Suddenly, the Dratini made an odd trill and Clair looked in the direction it was staring: a statuesque blonde woman dressed all in black was approaching her.

"I've never seen you before," the woman said, dark gray eyes roaming appraisingly over the bluette. When she caught sight of the woman's unusual, erm, 'bracelet', she smiled bemusedly—that (both the Pokémon itself and the fact that it was currently being worn as an accessory) wasn't something you saw every day.

"I'm here as a stand-in for Lance. He couldn't make it."

"Oh, you must be Clair!"

Clair frowned slightly. Why would this woman know who she was? "You are correct. And you are…?"

"Cynthia. Your cousin's told me so much about you."

The Dragon user could have smacked herself for not realizing the blonde's identity in the first place: Lance had spoken at length about how skilled a tactician the Sinnoh League Champion was. She had also made a name for herself as a kind-hearted, intelligent Trainer and her pursuit of the Legendary duo, Palkia and Dialga, had lead her on journeys across the world. "I could say the same. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

The bluette reached out to grasp the hand that was offered and the Dratini encircling her wrist entwined itself around both their hands, locking them together and cooing happily as though pleased with its handiwork.

'_Curious.'_ Dratini were a shy species to begin with and Pokémon from the Dragon's Den typically stayed away from outsiders, yet here this one was cuddling up to the tall blonde.

A sailor caught sight of the pair and commented, "I've heard tell that Dratini bind destined lovers together." Before either woman could respond, he plodded off, leaving them to ponder his words.

'_That was weird.' _ Clair tried to reclaim her hand, but the Dratini tightened its hold and made a shrill sound of protest. "Easy, little one," she hushed, lifting her free hand to stroke one of the white fins on the side of its head—

—Just as the blonde Champion did the same.

'_Well this is awkward.'_

It took almost fifteen minutes of coaxing from both Trainers before the tiny Dragon-type relinquished its grasp and wound its way further up Clair's arm. By that point, other sailors had amassed to watch and a few even applauded when they got free which made the Dragon user's cheeks heat. She bid Cynthia farewell and hurried off to locate her quarters, mind still puzzling over the Dratini's behavior.

Behind her, she heard Cynthia chuckled, the sound musical. "A pleasure indeed."

**-And so it begins…-**


	2. Impressing the Champion

Just a note: "~O~" indicates a switch between the character I'm focusing most of my attention on whereas a normal break (the line) indicates a skip in time. The "x.x.x" near the end always separates Lance's call segment, thus ending the chapter. Enjoy!

Also… I dunno. I heard a shout out for a haughty Clair, but I prefer cool, calm and upright. She's nearing 20 now, after all, so let's just say she matured. Sorry, I get final word ;D

**-Impressing the Champion-**

At exactly 6AM, Clair's eyelids fluttered open and she yawned and stretched, mentally going through a checklist of the chores she had to do around the shrine before she could meditate. She frowned at the unfamiliar ceiling as well as the odd weight on her chest before her memory caught up, reminding her that she was aboard the S.S Ann and a baby Dratini was asleep on her bosom. There were no chores to do and there certainly wasn't a proper place for her to meditate.

Her frown deepened. _'Now what?'_

As though sensing her unease, the Dratini shifted, blinking sleepily and cooing, "Draaa."

"Good morning to you, too," Clair returned, smiling slightly. It really was quite cute, if clingy: it had turned up its round white nose at the tanks specially made to accommodate the Water-types of the passengers and had instead bunked with the Gym Leader in her bed. Clair's own Pokémon—her current team consisted of two Dragonair, a Gyardos, and a Kingdra—had gone willingly, though not before curiously inspecting the latest addition.

The woman hopped out of bed and headed for the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face, grabbing a white yukata from her suitcase as she went. After changing out of her nightclothes, she allowed the Dratini to wrap itself around her forearm again before she headed out into the hallway.

She had an idea of where she could meditate—it wasn't perfect, but it would have to do.

~O~

At around 9AM—or maybe it was 10?—Cynthia groaned and flipped over, covering her head with her pillow. This was her vacation time, darn it all. How dare the sun intrude upon her slumber? It peeked through the circular window of her cabin, oh so smug, and she made a mental note to ask for thick curtains next time.

The Champion's stomach rumbled and she sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get back to sleep no matter how badly she wanted to—the world really was against her. The blonde sat up and stretched, flinching when there was a loud knock on the metal door to her cabin. "Miss Cynthia? It's time for breakfast."

"I'll come right down," she promised, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

There was a pause. "And have you seen Miss Clair? She isn't at breakfast and her room is empty."

'_Clair…' _The pretty blue-haired young woman she had met the night before. "No, I haven't. If I see her, I'll tell her breakfast is ready."

"Thanks!" Pleased that his work was done, the sailor hurried off to the next Champion's room.

"Hmm… Raynor, looks like we have to find Clair."

The bipedal, jackal-like Pokémon had been lying in a hammock she had requested to have hung in a corner of the room, paws behind his head as he watched the sunrise. He flipped from his bunk, landing in a crouch next to her. _"I sensed a powerful aura earlier when I awakened. Perhaps that was her?" _he asked telepathically. Lucario were well versed in aura and possessed incredible mental fortitude.

"It could be."

The Pokémon straightened. _"She was awake very early. You could do well to learn from her example."_

She waved off his comment. "I work hard, so I'm allowed to relax, thank you." Then she changed into a pair of black dress pants and a tank top, sans her usual cloak—it was much too hot this time of year, even though it looked simply marvelous with the outfit—and was just capturing flaxen waves in those odd black clips when she glanced at Raynor and said, "Patience is a virtue, you know."

"_I will never understand humans," _was all he said as the pair left the room. Out in the hall, the four black appendages on the back of the Lucario's head stood on end as he located their quarry. _"This way."_

…

Sitting cross-legged atop the back of a Gyarados that was floating lazily amidst a duo of acrobatic Dragonair, Clair looked like some sort of water goddess straight out of a work of art. She seemed completely in her element here, the gentle slap of her Pokémon reentering the water not seeming to shake her concentration at all as she breathed evenly.

That starch white yukata left nothing to the imagination the way it had been drizzled on by the playful ministrations of her Pokémon.

Cynthia averted her gaze, suddenly feeling very shy in the presence of the other woman. What the hell was wrong with her? She had to clear her throat in an attempt to recapture her voice. "Hey…"

"*Hey*"?Was that really the best she could do?!

Crimson eyes peered at her curiously. _"Is something wrong, Miss Cynthia?"_

She shook her head and looked up at the tank: Clair had risen and her Gyarados extended its tail so that it reached over the side of the glass; she ran along his back swiftly and leaped down from the spiny tip, flipping and landing as easily as one would step down a set of stairs—nimble as an Aipom.

Only this particular stair was more than ten feet high.

"_Impressive."_

It really was. Cynthia cleared her throat again, annoyed with her brain's inability to cooperate with her. It really was on vacation. "Good morning. I'm here to take you to breakfast."

For a moment, the Dragon user looked confused—as though 'breakfast' was a foreign concept to her. It cleared and she looked down; the blonde mirrored the action, studiously avoiding the regions where the yukata clung a little too tightly and smiled as she caught sight of the Dratini from before cupped in the blue-haired woman's hands. It trilled, tail wiggling.

"She seems to have taken a liking to you." There was something odd about her tone and Cynthia wasn't sure if being liked was a good thing or a bad thing. "I knew you were coming. She makes that sound whenever she sees you."

Well that was surprising. "How interesting."

"Mhmm…" But she didn't seem to be listening. Instead, she stooped so that she was eye-level with the Lucario and offered her hand. "Clair."

"_I am known as Raynor. Charmed,_" he returned, clasping her hand with a blue paw. It shone brightly for a brief moment and he seemed pleased. _"From one user of aura to another."_

'_User of aura?'_

Before she could ask, Clair's stomach rumbled loudly. "Come on, we'd better get to breakfast before there's nothing left."

* * *

"You've taken a shine to Clair," Cynthia observed. Breakfast had been delicious and she drummed her fingers on the table, eagerly awaiting whatever the chef had in store for lunch.

"_As have you."_

"She's nice."

The aforementioned young woman, for once not in the company of her tiny serpentine companion, was currently surrounded by the other Champions with the exception of Gary Oak, each of whom were bombarding Clair with questions about her region, her battle prowess, and even her philosophies on EV training.

It appeared the blue-haired Gym Leader had created quite a name for herself among the Champions as a potential threat to Lance's throne.

"Clair, you should battle me!" Iris insisted. Not one to wait for an answer, a bright beam of crimson had already shot from the Poké Ball in her hand, releasing a giant olive-armored dragon—a Haxorus.

It roared eagerly, the axe-shaped blade at the front of its face glinting wickedly, but it fell silent as a man with a mane of red hair admonished, "Now Iris, you know better than that. Champions aren't allowed to fight while we're in conference."

The purple-haired girl deflated. "B-but…"

"No 'but's."

"You always ruin my fun, Mr. Alder!" Still, she recalled the Pokémon and the room was suddenly much less occupied.

Alder, ever the peace-keeper, shrugged his broad shoulders. "I just don't want my lunch ruined, kiddo."

The duo hailing from the Unova region squabbled good-naturedly, the challenge forgotten, and Clair managed to slip away in the resulting lull.

"You sure seem popular," Cynthia chuckled, approaching the younger woman.

Her Lucario pressed his paws together and bowed at the waist in greeting. _"We meet again."_

"Yes… I had no idea Lance had even mentioned me," she admitted. She didn't seem to be a huge fan of all the attention she was getting, her eyebrows drawn together slightly in irritation.

"Well of course. Your cousin spoke so highly skills in battle that I'm tempted to challenge you myself."

Ah… That combination of a smirk and the defiant spark in blue eyes made the Champion's blood boil. She didn't have to battle Clair to know that she would be a worthy opponent. She grinned, forcing down her more competitive instincts in favor of friendliness. "We're almost there. We'll be arriving on Chrono Island come breakfast time tomorrow."

"_They say the quickest way to a male human's heart is through his stomach. Is this true for you as well?" _Raynor projected privately.

"Oh hush." At Clair's confused expression, the blonde jabbed her thumb in the direction of the buffet table that was being loaded up by servers. "Hey, grab something to eat and come with me."

The pair headed up to the deck for some fresh air; upon ascending the stairs leading out of the belly of the ship, someone going in the opposite direction bumped into Clair and she would have dropped what she was carrying had Cynthia not reached out to steady her.

The Dragon user's temper flared the moment she heard a nasally voice snap, "Watch where you're going, lady." Gary Oak. His stance was challenging (was it ever not?), a near-permanent sneer on his face. "You're that new girl, right? I don't think you belong here."

Cynthia rested a comforting hand on Clair's shoulder. She knew from experience that the young Champion was… Unpleasant to say the least. "Clair's here because she's strong enough to challenge any one of us. If you'll kindly apologize and be on your way—"

"'_Apologize_'?" he repeated incredulously. He pulled a Poké Ball from his belt and pressed the button on the front so that it swelled. "You wanna make me?"

"It would be my pleasure. A one-on-one. Winner apologizes." It was as though a switch had been set off: the confident young woman had become as hard and cool as ice.

For some reason… Cynthia liked it.

"Bring it on, loser," Gary laughed. "Pidgeot, go!"

Crimson light shot forth and a giant bird Pokémon with tan and crème feathers materialized as it faded, flapping impressive wings and screeching.

Clair smirked, drawing her own Poké Ball from the sleeve of her yukata and lobbing it towards the deck. "Come, Luna."

By the time the device had returned to her hand, an elegant blue serpentine Pokémon had materialized, the little horn jutting out of its forehead glinting in the high afternoon sun. "Dragonair," it said, wiggling the wings on either side of its head.

'_This is against the rules,' _a little red flag warned the blonde. She shook it off, the thought of Clair teaching the jerk a lesson a much more rewarding prospect than upholding the rules. Besides, she was curious to see the Dragon user's strength for herself.

She wouldn't say anything if they didn't.

"Very well. I will serve as the referee." She moved to stand between both combatants, staying well out of the way of their Pokémon. "Ready? Begin!"

"_Wing Attack, _now!" the brunette commanded.

He was fast. She'd give him that. The Pokémon dove forward, wings extended, glowing white with energy—

"Luna, serpentine and follow up with _Dragon Breath_."

—And, just before the impact, her Dragonair slithered out of the way in the approximation of a large S, positioning itself right under its opponent and belched a plume of purplish flame upwards. The attack just barely scorched the end of the Pidgeot's long brown tail feathers as it wheeled out range, cawing.

"Alright, Pidgeot, _Sky Attack_!" The Pokémon began to glow a fiery red as it stored up energy and Cynthia frowned slightly. That was the bird Pokémon's most powerful attack and she had to wonder if the Dragonair's frail form could withstand it.

Clair, for her part, seemed nonplussed. "_Thunder Wave_."

Gary's shout of protest was interrupted by the sound of crackling electricity as it lanced through his hovering Pidgeot and bound its wings, sending it crashing to the deck. Before he could think to do anything, the Dragon user commanded, "Now, _Ice Beam."_

A ray of concentrated frost shot from the Dragonair's horn and hit Pidgeot dead-on, encasing the bird's vast body in a solid block of ice. Super Effective.

And just like that, Clair had won.

Cynthia blinked, honestly impressed. With a move-set like that, the Dragonair could take on a wide range of opponents. "Winner: Clair."

The brown-haired upstart from Pallet Town balled his fists and grit his teeth. He wouldn't accept defeat—not like this! "This isn't over," he spat, recalling his injured Pokémon.

"Apology accepted," Clair said graciously, a smirk on her lips as she recalled her own Pokémon.

As he ran off with his tail between his legs, Cynthia was left with the blue-haired beauty she now had a new respect for.

"Do I have something on my face?" It was then that the blonde realized she had been staring.

"Erm… No. Let's eat."

x.x.x

"_Hey, cousin!"_

"Lance… I thought you were busy."

"_Doesn't mean I can't check on my own flesh and blood." _She heard the wild flapping of cloth in the background—it must have been windy wherever he was. _"How is everything?_

"Great. I beat some sense into Gary Oak."

His laugh was loud enough that she had to hold the Pokégear away from her ear. _"Really? It's about time someone did."_

"Mm… I doubt he's learned his lesson, though."

"_Something else on your mind?"_

She paused. "The Dratini did something strange today."

"_The little one? You still haven't come up with a name for her?"_

"No, not yet."

"_Well, what did she do?"_

"I met Cynthia earlier. When we shook hands, the Dratini bound them together. I've never seen one do that before."

"_I hear they bind_ _destined lovers together," _Lance informed her, unwittingly repeating what the sailor had said the evening before. Was she the only one who hadn't heard that saying? _"Hmm… Maybe it thinks you and Cynthia—_"

"I found out that you talk about me a lot," Clair interrupted, cutting off whatever ridiculous thing the red-haired man was about to suggest.

"_Just in casual conversation, my dear._"

"Oh? I hear you're afraid I'll take your throne."

"_I think that's all the time I have for now,_" Lance said cheerily. _"Goodnight, cousin. Safe voyage!"_

**-End Chapter-**


	3. Getting to Know the Champion

I took a bit of artistic liberty with Resort Gorgeous since the games give me squat -.-

**-Getting to Know the Champion-**

After spending roughly 24 hours aboard the S.S Ann, Cynthia was very glad to be on dry land. They still hadn't made it to their intended destination just yet and had instead stopped at Three Isle Port on Kin Island in order to refuel.

For the past hour or so the sailors had been muttering ominously about a coming storm and it was really putting her off, but she had ignored their superstitious utterances in favor of stretching her legs.

It would be safer to wait out a storm on land than on a boat, would it not? Besides, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

The Berry Forest was full of a variety of different Berry trees, their branches laden with Berries. Cynthia stopped to pick a few, humming cheerfully as she slipped them into her pockets—her Pokémon would love these. She was reaching among the branches when a strong wind picked up, causing the leaves to whisper to one another.

Storm clouds really didn't matter much, the Champion soon found out as the sky burst open and released a monsoon that forced her to seek shelter.

Things just couldn't get any better.

~O~

Raynor (and to a lesser extent, Clair) had been waiting patiently for Cynthia to return to the dock, feet hanging over its edge in the clear blue water. When the wind picked up, the Pokémon's ears swiveled, his blue fur standing on edge.

"_Miss Cynthia has not returned yet."_

"I'm not sure where she disappeared to. The captain said to wait here."

"_I am concerned. Perhaps it would be best if we fetched her." _He didn't wait for a response as he rose and trotted off. For a moment, the blue-haired woman struggled with her conscience: what if Cynthia was in fact in danger? But the captain had warned them…

Ugh.

She ran after Raynor, her Dratini around her shoulders like a scarf.

They made it as far as the Bond Bridge by the time the rain began pelting the earth, rendering the wooden surface dangerously slippery and the ocean beneath it rough and choppy.

"_If I may, Miss Clair…" _the Pokémon began, scooping the woman up and dashing across the bridge towards the trees. He was moving so quickly she thought they would crash into the cabin that suddenly sprang into view, but he easily kicked the door open without breaking his stride and set her down, the both of them dripping water onto the dusty wooden floor. It looked as though no one had used the space in years.

"Oh, there you are." Clair started, but it was only Cynthia. The blonde was completely dry, lounging on an Ursaring skin rug in front of an unlit fireplace. Safe and sound. In fact, she would have been completely fine without them. The Champion took one look at the Dragon user's displeased expression and grinned sheepishly. "I'll, um, start a fire. You'll catch your death.

As if on cue, Raynor crossed the room and held out his paw; silver-white energy—aura—burned there briefly before a spark caught on the dry branches left in the fire pit. Cynthia took up a poker and soon a cheery little blaze warmed the room.

The Pokémon and his Trainer plopped down, totally at ease, and looked to the Gym Leader expectantly until, huffing at the inconvenience, Clair joined them and lowered herself gracefully into a seated position.

The Dratini made that trilling sound again as though greeting Cynthia and the blonde reached out and scratched under its chin. "I think your owner is displeased with me," she said, feigning a whisper.

"Braving the elements and catching pneumonia is not my idea of a good time."

Thunder cracked and the displeasure only grew.

"Sorry…" She made sure her expression was appropriately chastened. "I didn't think I'd get stuck out here. You didn't have to come."

The younger woman harrumphed. "I didn't know what happened to you. I couldn't have just ignored that."

The blonde Champion turned her head to hide a smile—Clair really was quite kind, despite her gruff, reserved exterior. The girl began to shiver and Cynthia undid the clasp hidden in the furry collar of her cloak, glad she had brought it along on her little adventure, and wrapped an arm around the bluette's shoulders, draping it there. "Here. Friends again?"

Her touch lingered for a moment longer before she removed her arm completely and Clair found that she felt colder than she had before. She reached up and pulled the thick fabric closer to herself. "Fine."

She couldn't help the amusement that crept into her voice. The Champion was quite charm—_charismatic_.

* * *

"You can't be serious."

"I swear to you, I am."

Steel-toned eyes stared directly into aquamarine ones as though trying to peer into Clair's very soul. "Oh wow."

"Mhmm."

The blonde burst out laughing, actually holding her sides as the peal continued. When she finally calmed down, she wiped a tear from her eye. "That has got to be the most entertaining story I've ever heard. Is Lance always getting in trouble like that?"

The Dragon user smiled faintly, closing her eyes and reclining on the soft fur. "He's only ever like that back home." She sounded sleepy.

"I should visit someday. I feel as though I could discover something amazing." When she didn't receive a response, Cynthia prodded her companion's side, "Hey, Clair?"

"Mm?"

The Dratini had curled up with Raynor and the Pokémon had fallen asleep together on a plush recliner across the room.

"Why'd you become a Gym Leader anyway?"

"I wanted to hone my skills," the bluette replied honestly. "Of all the Dragon User Clan, Lance and I are the Elder's best students. I meditate every day so that my connection to Dragon-types becomes stronger."

"Such dedication. Would you ever challenge Lance for his title and become Champion some day?"

"His fears are unfounded. Being a Gym Leader suits me just fine and Lance is the only Trainer that has managed to best me in a good while."

"I think you could," Cynthia said quietly, after a moment of silence.

"Hm?"

"I think you could beat Lance." She smiled at her friend. "You have incredible potential, Clair. You're amazing."

The sincerity in the blonde's voice made Clair's cheeks heat. "Thank you…"

"No problem." The Sinnoh League Champion sprawled out on her back, crossing her long legs.

"What made you decide to become the Sinnoh Champion?"

The blonde held up a hand, palm parallel to the low ceiling, fingers spread. "My dream is to travel the world, learning about new Pokémon, discovering new worlds I've only ever imagined, and meeting new people. People like you." The last bit was added with a chuckle.

"Like me?"

"Yeah. You're smart, kind…" _'Lovely…' _She let her hand fall to her side. "It's nice to have someone to talk to. It's weird… I just feel comfortable with you, you know?"

Clair's eyelids fluttered, the heat from the fire soaking into her bones and, combined with the endless drum of the rain on the roof overhead, it made her drowsy. She felt the same, but she wasn't about to admit that aloud—living amongst Dragon-types all of her life had taught her that Man's greed knew no limit and trusting people resulted in nothing but complications. The sentiment was completely new and utterly ridiculous. "Mm…"

"Hey, don't fall asleep," Cynthia chided. "The rain might stop soon."

"I won't." The stubbornness in her voice was like that of a child trying to convince their parent and the blonde bit her lip, enchanted by this marvelous young woman.

It took nearly half an hour for the rain to peter out and Cynthia yawned. She had very nearly drifted off in the peaceful lull, but one thing had prevented her from doing so: Clair had rolled over in her sleep and cuddled up to the blonde's side, still wrapped in the older woman's cloak.

Despite her words earlier, she was fast asleep. How precious.

"Well, we can't very well keep the ship waiting any longer…" And she didn't want to wake Clair. If Raynor's comment from that morning was true, the poor girl didn't get enough rest as it was.

That was why the sailor that caught sight of the previously missing women as they re-embarked was shocked by the fact that the tall blonde woman was cradling the slumbering bluette and her cooing Dratini. News travelled quickly that the missing passengers had returned and the captain himself came storming out of his quarters, ready to chew someone's ear off for being so reckless—Champion or no.

He was stunned into silence by a hissed, "Shhh!" and a dark look from the woman in question as she pushed past the crowd of nosy sailors and headed for Clair's cabin.

* * *

"That was quite an entrance you made earlier," Steven, the Hoenn League Champion, commented. Calm and measured, he was one of Cynthia's favorite colleagues and a companion for some of her explorations. They were only moments from their destination, with the captain barking orders and the sailors rushing about like Combee around a Vespiquen, but the word on everyone's lips was about the reappearance of the missing Champion and Champion stand-in.

"We got rained in and she fell asleep is all."

"And you didn't want to wake her," he finished, chuckling. "Sometimes, Cynthia, I believe you're _too _concerned for others."

"It was no trouble," the blonde insisted, crossing her arms. "Besides, it was my fault she got stuck out there in the first place."

"Ever the wanderer."

"You're a fine one to talk!"

Steven laughed: he too possessed a wanderlust that had him straying far from the Elite Four in search of adventure in all corners of Hoenn—so much so that Wallace, also from Hoenn, sometimes took on challengers in his stead. Needless to say, it wasn't unusual in their line of work for one to roam. "Touché." He leaned against the steel guard rail. "You know… Between that incident with the Dratini and today's display, the two of you are becoming a thing of interest."

Cynthia frowned slightly. The mention of her and the younger woman in _that _sense made her stomach flip uneasily. It wasn't as though she didn't like women, it was just... "Clair and I are friends."

"You have to start somewhere, right?"

~O~

Clair didn't remember falling asleep, but suddenly she was waking up in her room, something fluffy tickling her cheek. It took her a moment to recognize the cloak and, more importantly, who it belonged to.

Her face heated and she gasped, mortified. Had she really fallen asleep in the Champion's company? And how…? Normally, the Dragon user had trouble nodding off when someone else was around—it was a trust thing. Apparently that wasn't the case with Cynthia as she felt well rested from her spontaneous nap.

"_We've arrived, Miss Clair." _Raynor was leaning against the doorway, eyes closed. Before Clair could question his presence, he continued, _"Miss Cynthia instructed me to ensure that you were not disturbed. She said that you 'seemed tired' and that you should 'take it easy and relax'."_

Relax? She hadn't taken a single day off from her duties as both a Gym Leader and a member of the Dragon User Clan in years. There was no time to relax—not when there was so much to do.

"_Please come with me." _He bent down and Clair realized that her suitcase was at the aura Pokémon's feet. He hefted it easily and, ignoring her protests with a, _"Miss Cynthia's orders", _he padded from the room, throwing an expectant look over his shoulder when she didn't move to follow.

Feeling rather like she was being tricked, the blue-haired woman climbed out of her bed, gathering up Cynthia's cloak and her Dratini, and trailed behind the Lucario.

Resort Gorgeous was, well, _gorgeous_.

The enormous marble building sat upon a verdant hill with various flowers colouring its well-manicured lawn. Japanese style paper lanterns hung from poles that periodically dotted the cobblestone path up towards the resort, providing a gentle light for the guests as they made their way upwards, through fragrant gardens and past elaborate carved fountains depicting ancient Pokémon.

The front doors burst open and the light from a gigantic crystal chandelier shone out onto the lawn as a blonde woman in a turquoise sun dress swept out, gesturing grandly. "Welcome, Champions!"

"_That is Selphy, our hostess," _Raynor informed her.

"As usual, everything on my Islands from the Berry gardens to the training facilities is readily available to you. So relax, enjoy, and please don't hesitate to ask for anything at all!"

There was a cheer as the Champions gathered around their hostess, thanking her for her generosity and inquiring about the island's facilities. Clair hung back, not willing to join the crowd. Cynthia wasn't among the gathered Champions, she noticed.

"_This way, please."_ She was lead past the hubbub and up a spiral staircase lined with a thick red carpet, three floors up. "_This is the Champion's quarters_. _Selphy's own private guests stay on the second floor, but these rooms are special."_

"Special?"

Her make-shift butler stopped in front of the first door on the left of the hallway and knocked swiftly on the door. Before she could question why he was doing so when the room _should _have been unoccupied, the door flew inwards and she was met by bright gray eyes and an even brighter smile. "Hey there, sleepy head! Welcome to your own little Dragon's Den."

No kidding… Clair could only gape at the room that had been prepared for a Master of Dragon-types: the floor was cool stone, marbled with veins of minerals and gems and a shallow pool ran around its perimeter. There was an actual man-made _waterfall _cascading down into the pool's deepest area from a gap in the ceiling, which had to have been cut out of the floor above specifically for that purpose. The walls of the room were slats of wood stained a dark red-brown and the bed at its center, out of reach of the spray, was round and soft with satin sheets.

"It's…"

"Amazing, right? I had them change a couple of things based on what you told me about back home. Do you like it?" There was an eager sort of hopefulness to the older woman's tone… Which confused her. Was Cynthia always this kind to people she had just met? She seemed to be going out of her way to please her new friend.

Shrugging off the odd thought, Clair gave the blonde a dazzling smile. "I love it."

It could have been her imagination, but she thought she saw crimson touch those pale cheeks.

x.x.x

"_There was a storm earlier. Is everything okay?"_

"Yes. Cynthia and I were trapped in an abandoned cabin for a while on Kin Island and we talked while we waited out the downpour."

"_Oh? Sounds romantic."_

'_Not this again.' _She knew he wasn't being serious, but his teasing made her… uncomfortable."I wish you'd stop that foolishness."

"_If you say so~ So tell me about your first night in the Sevii Islands—did Selphy serve any of that delicious cake she makes?"_

She didn't remember much of dinner, actually. She had been too busy laughing at Cynthia's antics to take notice of what was going into her mouth and the other Champions had contributed to the blonde's fantastic tales until the entire table was abuzz with high spirits.

Even Gary Oak had been a part of the group.

It was quite late when she ended her call and the blue-haired woman rolled onto her side, curling her body around that of her bedmate. "Yume." The name came to her without warning in a burst of inspiration. It was as though it had been waiting on the tip of her tongue the entire time. A sliver of moonlight touched the little round gem on the Dratini's forehead and it glinted brightly. She smiled when it made an approving trill and nuzzled its head against her cheek. "Goodnight, Yume."

**-End Chapter-**


	4. Caring for the Champion

**-Caring for the Champion-**

Clair had been enjoying a hot, relaxing shower when the door to the stall opened suddenly to reveal Cynthia, a bathrobe secured haphazardly around her waist and falling off her shoulders.

They stared at each other, dumbstruck for a few long seconds, before time resumed and the bluette covered herself up as best she could, snapping, _"OUT."_

"I am _so _sorry," the blonde Champion cried, slamming the door shut, a crimson flush spreading down her neck and across her shoulders.

Apparently their rooms were connected by this bathroom—a detail that had slipped Cynthia's mind until she had accidentally walked in on her suitemate. She kept apologizing over and over even though the Dragon user had told her that it was fine. No harm done.

She didn't comment on the lingering onceover she thought she had seen Cynthia give her before closing the door and shielding Clair from her dark gaze. She must have been imagining things—why would the older woman look at _her _like _that_?

~O~

'_I swear this blush will never fade…' _And neither would the image of Clair's naked body from her mind. It was permanently seared into her eyelids; every time she closed her eyes she could clearly envision the creamy expanse of skin, a taut abdomen leading up to perfect swells—

"_Miss Clair, your face is a rather unhealthy shade. Shall I fetch someone?"_

'_GAH!' _

The Pokémon tilted his head curiously, unsure of the tangle of emotions he was reading. _"What is it that's troubling you? Miss Clair isn't angry—"_

"I'd rather not talk about Clair right now," Cynthia groaned, covering her eyes with her hands.

"_Very well. Should I also not mention that she is standing outside of the door, awaiting you to join her for breakfast?"_

Right on cue, there was a knock and the blonde nearly tripped over herself in her haste to answer it. The moment she revealed the contents of her room, the Dragon user gave an impressed whistle.

Cynthia certainly had a flair for style: the entire room was decked out with white gold fixtures that contrasted the rich, dark tones of the wooden bookshelf, desk, and armoire. The crème coloured rug beneath her bare feet was as thick and luxurious as a Persian's fur. Elegant wrought-iron lamps along the walls cast an atmospheric glow, each one positioned below a marvelous painting depicting famous Trainers and Legendary Pokémon. The canopied princess bed sitting towards the back of the room was entirely black (somehow, that didn't surprise her) and loaded with pillows and plush Poké Dolls.

"Oh… Yeah. I designed it myself," the Champion admitted, watching amusedly as Clair poked around. "Selphy is an amazing hostess."

"You're a woman of many talents."

"You could say that." Damnit, why was her voice _doing that_?

Clair didn't seem to notice, her attention on the bookshelf loaded with both books and a random assortment of trinkets. "Are these all yours?"

"Mhmm. When you travel as much as I do, you pick up a few things."

"This is pretty…" She was holding a flat silver object that shimmered with the colours of the rainbow.

"Ah, I found that while I was excavating. It's called a Plate and research has linked it to the Legendary Pokémon, Arceus. I have four in my possession, each of them for a different Type of Pokémon."

Come to think of it…

Clair blinked, a bit taken aback by the genuine excitement the woman had as a result of her love for her work. She watched curiously as the blonde headed over to her desk and began searching through it. "Hey, go to breakfast without me. I'll catch up."

"_What's gotten into you?" _Raynor asked once the bluette had left.

"I know it's here somewhere…" Her last trip Underground had resulted in the discovery of— "Ah hah!"

The Lucario blinked, startled by her sudden exclamation. _"Miss Cynthia?"_

But she had resumed her rummaging and he knew his questions would go unanswered until she accomplished whatever it was she was scheming.

~O~

"Cynthia, you must agree with me!" Wallace insisted, sweeping turquoise bangs out of his face with a toss of his head.

"Hm?"

"Watch out, Cynthia's got that lost-in-thought look in her eyes," Alder guffawed.

She felt her face heat and scowled—was she really that obvious? "Could you repeat that, Wallace?"

He sniffed. "Milotic. It's a darling Pokémon and completely worth the effort of hunting down a Feebas."

"Of course. My team wouldn't be complete without Kirin."

"So you're saying you'd prefer a Milotic over, say, a Lapras?" Iris demanded. "_Mine _knows Electric-type moves that knock other water types out of the park."

"Milotic are extremely agile. You'd be so bogged down with status effects by the time you tried to attack that your team would be extremely disadvantaged."

"You wanna bet?" The purple-haired girl already had a Poké Ball in her hand.

"Iris…" Alder said reproachfully. "I'm beginning to feel like a babysitter."

"He started it!"

"Well, what about Dragonair?" Clair interrupted, speaking for the first time. She had arrived to the discussion late and slipped quietly into the seat across from Cynthia. "They're agile as well. And Dragon-types can learn Ice, Fire, and Electric-type moves in addition to Dragon-type ones. They're incredibly versatile."

Iris grinned. "Yeah! That's why I have a bunch of them."

Wallace snorted. "Dragon-types take far too long to train and their teenage stages are typically fragile or underpowered. Water-types are the perfect balance of hardiness and ease to train—"

The comment was met with loud protest from Iris and Clair covered her mouth to hide an amused smile. "Where do you stand, Cynthia?"

Steel-coloured eyes stared blankly for a moment, the blonde's brilliant mind somewhere entirely different. "Sorry?"

"Best to leave her be, Clair," Steven commented. "When she's focused like that, there's no hope in reaching her."

The bluette gave her friend a curious look. "Does this happen often?"

"Usually after she's made a new discovery… Or planning some great undertaking."

From his perch on the banister overlooking the conference area, Raynor shook his head. He had only sensed emotions from his mistress like this once before and that hadn't ended so well.

It would be up to him to protect her.

* * *

"_Miss Clair, a moment of your time?"_

The Dragon user was sitting with her feet in the shallow pool, a book she had borrowed from Cynthia in her lap. "Yes?"

"_I—" _He stopped and focused his attention on Yume, who had poked her head out of the water and begun to chatter. _"Ah. The little one is ready to shed her skin."_

Sure enough, the Dratini glinted like steel in the sun, its stocky body gaining length as it cast off its old skin. It would go through this process several times before evolving.

"Good girl," Clair praised, reaching out to stroke her head. When the Pokémon latched onto her wrist as it was accustomed to doing, she nearly lost her balance at the unexpected weight. "It occurs to me that this may be a problem if you keep getting bigger..."

"Dra? Dratini!"

"_She says she loves being close to 'mama'," _Raynor translated, tone amused.

The Lucario was so well-versed in her own language that Clair had nearly forgotten that he could also understand other Pokémon. "She makes an odd sound whenever she sees Cynthia. Can you tell me what it means?"

"_I would need to hear the sound you refer to."_

She'd have to ask again later, then. She really was curious. "What did you want?"

"_Miss Cynthia likes you quite a lot." _He gave her what she thought to be a meaningful look. "_I would ask that you be kind and considerate to her."_

It was an odd request… "Have I done anything to make you think I'd behave otherwise?"

"_No, no," _he assured her. _"From experience, however, I have found humans to be rather insensitive towards her due to her rank and authority."_

'_Rank and authority…?' _"You're saying people have taken advantage of her?" Clair asked, incredulous. Who in their right mind would even think to upset such a generous woman?

"_I am." _He balled one of his paws into a fist, light blue aura flaring to life around it. _"I will not allow it to happen again."_

"I understand," Clair said solemnly. Humanity had an amazing capacity for harm—regardless of what or whom their malicious intent was aimed at. "I would never do such a thing. I swear it."

~O~

"Where is it…?" Cynthia had been locked in her room since the social had ended, hunched over her desk. She was working on something. "I could have sworn it was right here…"

"_Is this what you're looking for, Miss Cynthia?" _Raynor asked, a sharp instrument gripped in his paw.

"Thank you!" She turned back to the clutter of tools and strips of metal and leather, repositioning the protective goggles she had moved to the top of her head while searching so that they were over her eyes. "Where have you been, anyway?"

"_I went for a walk," _he responded vaguely, hopping up to sit on the corner of the desk that hadn't been overtaken. _"What is this new project?"_

As he leaned forward to look, she slapped her hands down over whatever it was she was working on. "Hey, it's a surprise! No peeking."

"_A surprise for whom?" _There was that odd assortment of emotions again. _"Ah, I see."_

She blinked, confused by his statement. "See what?"

"_It's for Miss Clair, then."_

"H-how did you…" She trailed off and sighed. "You know me too well."

"_Is that such a bad thing?"_

"I guess not. I just wish I wasn't so transparent."

"_Wearing your heart on your sleeve is one of your greatest strengths, Miss Cynthia. Never forget that." _He patted her arm. _"Please try and get some rest after you have finished._

"I will."

Despite what she said, Cynthia fell asleep at her desk in the wee hours of the morning, her gift clenched tightly in her hand.

Raynor shook his head in dismay and draped the comforter from her bed around her shoulders. He knew her well, but that didn't mean he understood her.

A knock at the door a few hours later jerked Cynthia violently from sleep; she blinked blearily, lost, before she heard the sound again and groaned. The clock above her desk read 8AM—who in the world?

"_I will answer it." _Raynor said, bless him.

When Clair entered the room, fresh-faced and dressed in a pale beige romper with numerous pockets, she mentally reclaimed the sentiment. He knew fully well who was at the door and hadn't warned her _why_? The prospect of throwing on something more presentable for her guest played through her head, and she cast it aside, incredulous. '_Since when am I so worried about how she sees me?'_

"What time do you even get up in the morning?" she groused, slumping. She quickly hid her present in the breast pocket of her cloak. "It's like you never sleep."

"I could say the same of you. I heard you working well into the night and here you still are."

"Mmph. I got preoccupied," the Champion grunted. Yume poked her head out of one of Clair's larger pockets and trilled her usual greeting, earning a smile. "Hey, kiddo."

She swore she thought she heard Raynor sigh, but when she glanced in his direction, he was studiously examining the ceiling.

"You should get a good night's rest," Clair was saying. She crossed the room and—

Wait, why was she coming so close?

—hooked Cynthia's arm around her neck, helping the taller woman to her feet. She was quite strong for her size.

"I can walk on my own, you know," Cynthia blustered, all too aware of the fact that their bodies were pressing together a little too closely. Despite her words, she didn't try to resist. It was both embarrassing and flattering to have the young woman tend to her like this.

Raynor lending a paw didn't help the embarrassment factor at all.

Together the pair muscled the Champion towards the bed, ignoring all of her protests, and Clair retrieved her comforter, tucking it around the lower half of the blonde's body. "Take a nap," she commanded. "I'll bring something up for you."

"But—"

With a warning look, the bluette exited the room just as swiftly as she had entered, leaving behind a flabbergasted Cynthia.

"_Oh my. I've never seen you so docile before."_

"Hush."

It bothered her that she kind of… _liked _the way the younger woman bossed her around.

(break)

A gentle pressure on her shoulder woke Cynthia for the second time that morning and she was suddenly staring into aquamarine orbs, the smell of jasmine enveloping her senses.

Their faces were way too close.

_Badump. _"Hey…"

Not this again.

Clair smiled slightly, leaning back and placing space between them. Suddenly, Cynthia could breathe. "Hey. Do you feel any better?"

"Loads." She sat up and saw the tray the bluette had balanced on her leg. Her stomach howled. "I really hope that's for me."

"Mhmm. I know you like seafood so I had the chef prepare something accordingly.

Yellowtail. Her favorite. She had mentioned it once before—a passing comment, really—and she was surprised that Clair had been paying attention. Warmth blossomed in her chest. "Thank you…"

"No problem. When you get out of bed, we can ride the Seagallop Ferry to Boon Island. I wanted to see the wares in the trading post."

"It's a date." She hadn't meant it literally, but for some reason the statement made her feel—excited, silly—happy.

It was time to come to terms and call this what it was: Cynthia had fallen for the serious youth hailing from Blackthorn City. In all her gentle kindness, quiet maturity, and elegant beauty, Clair had managed to worm her way into the blonde Champion's heart.

Raynor chuckled quietly and crossed his arms, watching the way the Trainers interacted with interest. He had no idea where this friendship would lead, but he could sense the positive effect they had on one another.

Cynthia hadn't been this happy in a while and he intended to keep it that way.

x.x.x

"_Good day?"_

She had turned on the video sharing option on her Pokégear and Lance was staring at her. "What makes you say that?"

"_You're… smiling." _The red-head sounded baffled.

It _had _been a good day—a great one, in fact. "I'll tell you about it tomorrow. I'm exhausted."

"_Fiiine." _He looked about ready to sulk, but something shiny caught his eye._ "What's that around your neck?"_

"Oh… This is…"

_/ "I have something for you," Cynthia began, fidgeting slightly. She almost seemed… nervous? She had changed into a dark blue sundress for their shopping trip, so she had a Bag slung over her shoulder. From it, she procured a packet of folded brown paper, tied closed with twine. "Here…"_

_Clair accepted the parcel, curious. The gift was unexpected. She untied the knot and unwrapped the paper to reveal—_

_The Dragon user gasped: inside was the Plate from before, painstakingly chiseled into the shape of a Dragon Fang and hung from a metal chain so delicate looking that she was almost afraid she'd break it. "Mew… It's beautiful…"_

"_You think so?" The blonde tangled her fingers together and kicked at the ground, the very definition of shy eagerness. "I made it myself. This Plate is for Dragon-types so I figured—"_

_A mixture of surprise and the force of Clair's hug cut off whatever it was that she "figured." Not that she minded. She hugged the bluette back, her body feeling strange—tingly and weightless._

"_I love it." /_

"_She's really quite talented." _He sounded impressed. _"And it appears that she's taken quite a liking to you."_

"It's one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me," Clair admitted. "I can see why her fans adore her so much."

"_What about you?"_

"Hm?"

"_Are you one of those Cynthia fans as well?"_

Was she? She had an immense respect and appreciation for the Champion, but there was something deeper than that there as well. Something she couldn't quite put a finger on.

"We're friends," she said simply. "She makes me happy."

"_Good to hear. I'm sure she feels the same way."_

For some reason, hearing that made her smile again.

**-End Chapter-**


	5. Feelings for the Champion

**-Feelings for the Champion-**

_/_ _The Ferry moved incredibly quickly despite the passenger load it carried, and the wind whistled by, tossing the salty spray. This one, glass-bottomed and stocked with refreshments, was specially designed for the Champions' convenience. They could see the vague shapes of Pokémon in the deep: Magikarp, Tentacool and even a Mantine. _

_Clair lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. The sky was clear and blue, the clouds so fluffy and white she felt like she could reach out and touch them. "It's lovely out."_

_Cynthia nodded in agreement, wiping droplets of water from her chic sunglasses. "The weather will be like this all week. We should visit the pool at some point."_

"_I'd like that."_

_Boon Island was bustling with people; the bridge leading from the port was decorated with balloons and streamers, and at the opposite end was the market place where travelling merchants sold wares they had gathered from foreign places. The entire street was littered with brightly coloured stalls and an assortment of Trainers and their Pokémon, their voices a dim roar as they interacted with one another._

_Cynthia caught sight of a vendor hawking fossils and Stones used for evolutions and was about to head over when Clair grabbed her arm, inadvertently pressing soft mounds of flesh against the appendage. Her mouth went dry. "Look. Over there."_

_The blonde swallowed hard and looked in the direction her companion indicated: a stall across the way bore a colourful sign advertising Herbs, Incense, and other stat-boosting items. Coming from a shrine, they must have been a familiar and interesting thing to the Dragon user…_

_With that in mind, Cynthia cast one last wistful look at the fossil vendor and allowed herself to be lead to the other stall._

_While Clair chatted with the little old lady who owned the establishment, the blonde took the time to study her companion: her romper was form-fitting with a high collar and a semi-circular cut out that exposed her ample cleavage—in which the blonde Champion's gift was nestled. Steel-coloured eyes lingered there for a moment before dipping lower and Clair chose that exact moment to turn to follow the old woman to see something, giving Cynthia an excellent shot of her rear in the short shorts that completed the getup._

'_Oh dear Arceus…'_

"_Cynthia, are you coming?" Her eyes were bright, excitement in her tone. There was no way she knew that she was being looked at in such an indecent manner._

'_And no way she'd approve,' the blonde thought, ashamed of herself._

"_Yeah, sorry. I'm coming." /_

Was it unnatural to think that way about another girl? Was it wrong for her heart to accelerate when Clair got too close or her breath to catch when the younger woman gave her one of those lovely smiles? Was she better off keeping these feelings to herself?

She had to wonder what the Dragon-user would say if she ever found out how hard the Champion of the Sinnoh region had fallen for her.

~O~

"Yume, come back here!" Clair damanded, vaulting over a hedge.

The Dratini kept right on swimming, her blue body barely visible within the rushing current. This was the first time the normally docile Pokémon had done such a thing. She was headed straight for the ocean, and it wasn't safe for a creature of her size to swim around the open waters where ships were constantly coming and going.

"Yume! Crap…"

The Trainer pulled a Poké Ball from her belt and was about to toss it when she heard a familiar voice command, "Round her up, Kirin."

A long beige and blue shape darted through the water, far more quickly than Clair could track with her eyes. It sailed passed the little Dragon-type and a wave—_Surf_—washed in the opposite direction of the tide, sweeping the Dratini up and onto the shore.

Clair was at the water's edge immediately, snatching the Pokémon up and hugging it to her breast. "Don't worry me like that!" she chastised.

"That was close," Cynthia, Yume's knight in shining armor, commented. She stood on the opposite bank, Raynor at her side.

"Yes… Thank you." How was it that she always seemed to be in the right place at the right time?

A broad head with thin red eyebrow-like extensions poked out of the water—a Milotic—and the blonde held up a Poké Ball to recall her Pokémon. "Any time. What are you doing so far from the Resort by yourself?"

"Yume was ready to shed her skin again. I didn't expect her to take off after she was finished." The aforementioned Pokémon trilled, extending her head in Cynthia's direction as though reaching for the woman, and the Dragon user tightened her hold. She was really getting quite large. "I'll head over to the bridge and—"

"_No need," _Raynor assured her, suddenly at the bluette's side. He offered his paw. _"If I may?"_

With a single, powerful leap, Clair found herself on the other bank and Cynthia offered to hold Yume for her. Before she could advise against it, the blonde was cradling Yume, the Pokémon trilling again as it went willingly into the arms of the other woman.

Clair was once again utterly flabbergasted with how comfortable the normally shy, reclusive Dragon-type was with the Champion.

"_You asked earlier what that sound meant, Miss Clair," _Raynor said, privately so that Cynthia wouldn't hear. _"Yume is calling Miss Cynthia 'papa.'"_

'_Papa?!' _But Yume had called her "mama" before. That meant that the little Dragon-type thought that she and Cynthia…

"Clair, your face is flushed. That must have been quite a chase."

Yes… Of course. The sudden heat in her face must have been a result of the impromptu jog. "It's hot out today. Would you like to visit the pool?"

"Let's."

* * *

Cynthia kept her gaze trained on the clear blue sky—anywhere but the bikini-clad Clair, really. She had caught one glimpse of that indigo strap-less top and strappy bottom combo that left very little to the imagination and her heart had threatened to explode out of her chest. The Champion herself was wearing a black bikini, the top of which criss-crossed her back and connected at the front with a little silver charm resembling the hair clips she normally wore.

They were floating lazily in a lap-pool on inner tubes, an occasional Remoraid or Horsea brushing against their hands and feet as it swam by.

"Hey, Clair?"

"Mm?" This had been bugging her for a few days now—the way she felt about the beautiful young woman and the effect she had on the blonde Champion without even seeming to be aware of it—but she suddenly couldn't find the words to discuss the sentiment. She cleared her throat and Clair turned her head to fix those bottomless aquamarine orbs on her. "What is it?"

'_Is this wrong?'_ She had to wonder again. Was it wrong for Clair's very gaze to make the blonde's wits abandon her and her heart leap into her throat? "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"I imagine you can," she teased, a smile quirking the corners of full lips.

Cynthia couldn't help her own responding smile. But then it seemed there were plenty of things she couldn't help when the Dragon user was involved.

"_May_ I ask you a personal question?"

"You may."

"How do you feel about… Girls?"

Clair tilted her head, not entirely sure what the question was intending to deduce. "What do you mean?"

"Some girls… Like girls."

"Well, yes. Some girls are very nice."

Cynthia made a frustrated sound, heat rising in her cheeks. "No, no. I mean… _Like _girls. The way some girls like boys."

"Oh."

When the younger woman didn't say anything else, the blonde inwardly wished that a rift would open up and Arceus itself would journey from its dimension to smite her where she floated.

_/ "I like you."_

"_What?"_

"_You heard me." The brunette smiled widely. "You're always so focused on your work—it must get lonely. Date me, Cynthia."_

_Her boldness—her utter confidence—took the blonde Champion by surprise more than the admission did. And she was correct… All that travelling did get awfully lonesome._

_Before she could say anything, the other girl was leaning in and the blonde could feel her heart pounding against her rib cage._

_What was this feeling? /_

She wasn't nearly as brave as Helene had been. But then again, she didn't have ulterior motives either—she actually _liked _Clair.

The blonde released a nervous laugh, shaking off the memory. The way she had felt back then was nothing compared to the way she felt now when she was with the bluette. She started to say, "I'm just being silly", but couldn't when those intense eyes fixed themselves upon her again.

"Do _you _like girls, Cynthia?"

Where in the world was that accursed Pokémon when you needed it?!

She nodded mutely, biting her lower lip in her nervousness.

"Do you… Like _me_?" Clair asked curiously. She was only half serious, but the way the Champion was avoiding any eye contact at all pretty much guaranteed a positive answer.

"I," Cynthia began then, thought better of it. "You're beautiful, smart, kind, down-to-earth. It's difficult _not _to like you, Clair."

"Oh." Because, honestly, she wasn't sure what else to say. The blonde's words made her feel incredibly flattered, but nervous as well. She wasn't sure why that was, but her pulse quickened.

"I've gone and ruined our friendship." The dejection in Cynthia's voice was unexpected given her usual sunny countenance, and Clair's heart went out to the older woman.

Without thinking, she reached out and took Cynthia's hand in hers. "Don't say that. I'm right here."

"You're not… Disgusted?"

"Of course not." She squeezed the blonde's hand, offering a comforting smile. "I've just… No one's ever admitted to having feelings for me before—especially not someone that I cared for so much."

"Seriously?" The Champion snorted. "The men of Johto must be gay or blind."

When Clair laughed, the sound like wind chimes, Cynthia couldn't help but join in. She was acutely aware of the fact that the blue-haired Trainer was still holding her hand, but she didn't bring it up for fear that she'd let go.

"I'm flattered, but I don't think so. It may be because I'm completely at a loss with such matters," the Dragon user admitted. "I myself have never had feelings for someone else."

The blonde's expression fell a bit, disappointment like a stone in the pit of her stomach. "I see."

"But… I do find you beautiful," Clair continued. "You're the sweetest person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing… I care for you a lot… And you make me happy," she finished lamely. She laughed a bit, her feelings and reactions mortifyingly embarrassing, and averted her gaze. "Does that… Mean anything?"

'_So. Cute.' _Cynthia wanted to scoop the younger woman up and cover her face in kisses. Amongst other things. "Well, there's only one way to find out, right?"

"Um… how?"

She had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Casting aside her earlier nervousness, she offered, "We have a few days left here. Why don't we see where this goes? If anything, we'll still be friends."

She hoped.

The bluette looked thoughtful. After all of Lance's teasing, she was beginning to think that maybe there was some backing to his theories. Maybe she just hadn't recognized the feelings she had for what they were due to her lack of experience?

Cynthia felt her momentary braveness begin to evaporate as her companion remained silent—even more so when Clair released her hand—and began to survey the sky feverishly for that rift.

Finally, the Dragon user murmured, "I think I could fall for you, Cynthia."

Palkia, she hoped so! The admission set off a warm fluttering sensation in her stomach. "Really?"

"'It's difficult _not _to like you'," she teased. That playful tone had a new note—was Clair… flirting with her?

She nearly fell off of her inner tube. "In that case, will you be my date for the bonfire later?"

"It would be my pleasure."

* * *

"I'm not sure how I feel about this…"

"You need a yukata for tonight, Cynthia. Don't be stubborn."

"But…"

"Even I'm wearing one!" was Iris's input. Hers was a neon swirl of purple and pink. "Stop being such a baby!"

A yukata was so far from what the Champion was used to wearing… But an imploring look from Clair was all it took for her to cave-in, grab the offered clothing,—black with a blood-red floral print— and shut herself in the bathroom. When she came back out, Iris clapped her hands together in delight and Clair…

The bluette's expression went carefully blank, which made Cynthia feel like sinking into the floor.

"Um… How does it look?"

"You look great," Iris cheered. "Hurry up and change, Clair. I'll meet you guys downstairs."

As the purple-haired girl flounced out of the room, the blonde turned to her… Whatever Clair was to her at the current moment. "Is there something wrong?"

"No." The curtness of the response was less than comforting.

"You sure? You don't seem very happy. Do I look bad? I can take it off..." She was babbling and, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't stop herself.

Clair did it for her by taking the blonde's hand and resting it square in the center of her chest. It took the Champion an entire moment of wigging out over her proximity to cloth-covered mounds before she registered the fact that the Dragon user's heart was beating very quickly.

"I… Seeing you dressed like that did this. Is that normal?" The Dragon User _hated _feeling this way—so totally out of control of herself.

She looked so unsure—so gosh darn cute that Cynthia couldn't help herself. She cupped Clair's face and leaned in until their lips met for the first time. She swore little sparks went off in her brain and she desperately wished she had done this much, _much _sooner.

The connection wasn't very long, but when she pulled back, Clair's eyes were dark and heavy-lidded. "What was that for?" she asked, her voice a note huskier, gaze trained on the older woman's lips.

"You're just so cute sometimes." Though she wanted to kiss Clair again, they were expected downstairs. There would be plenty of opportunities later. "You should get dressed."

A blink. "Right," she agreed, her senses returning to her. "Just a moment."

Once Clair had donned her own yukata—a pale yellow with dark green vines creeping across it—the pair descended the stairs together. Their eyes met as they exited the building and a shy, eager smile spread across both girls' faces as they joined the others on the sand.

"Took you two long enough!" Iris scolded.

"More food for me!" Alder chortled. He too was wearing a yukata—a bright orange shade with brown leaves cascading down the sleeves.

Wallace's was white with teal water droplets along the hems and even Steven wore a plain gray one. They were all seated around a huge fire, the blaze's heat scorching Clair's skin even from a distance.

"Pull up a chair, girls," Steven offered. "There's enough food for everyone."

Before Cynthia could respond, a hand slipped into hers and squeezed briefly before releasing, and Clair moved to join the others, a pleased smile touching the corners of her lips.

'_I think I'm falling harder,' _the blonde mused, warmth blossoming in her chest as she followed suit.

x.x.x

"_I don't think I've ever seen you so happy."_

"You're exaggerating."

"_No, really: I've seen you jump up and down and squeal with joy before when your first Dratini evolved, but that was nothing compared to the happiness I'm seeing now. What's going on?"_

She looked away from the screen, but she couldn't help the huge, goofy grin that spread across her face as she thought about what had occurred in the past 24-hours to make her this happy.

"_Oh my goodness—you're in love!"_

"What?!"

"_That's the only explanation. Who is he? Someone you met on the Islands?"_

Clair frowned slightly. Lance had teased her before, but she wasn't sure how he'd take the news that she actually did like Cynthia. "_She_, actually…" After a heartbeat, the red-head burst out in a jovial laugh so boisterous that it made his cousin flinch. "People are sleeping, you know!"

"_I knew it!" he crowed, ignoring her admonishment. "I want to hear the whole story—from the beginning."_

Clair groaned, more for show than anything. She wasn't bothered by his request at all… It would be nice to have someone to help her figure out this confusing mass of emotions she felt when she was around the blonde Champion.

"I think it started when we got trapped in the Berry Forest on Kin Island…"

**-End Chapter-**


	6. Desire for the Champion

**-Desire for the Champion-**

Clair returned to her companions to find that Alder had broken out some saké and the party had "really begun."

Two bottles later and the Champions, with the exception of Iris, were pleasantly buzzed, laughing and talking amicably as they darted in and out of the waves. The bluette had abstained as well, more because she was concerned for Cynthia who appeared to be a lightweight: the blonde's cheeks were flushed and she was unsteady after just a cup or two.

Gary Oak had taken part in the drinking games, but he kept his wits about him. Like the others, he had noticed the way Clair and Cynthia had been getting chummy, but unlike the others, he was disgusted by the prospect of the two being together in _that _way.

That was why, when he saw the pair slip off together, he tailed them.

~O~

A buzzed Cynthia was an affectionate Cynthia, Clair soon realized. The older woman had an arm around her shoulder and was nuzzling her throat as they walked, murmuring compliments about how nice the flustered Gym Leader looked.

The attention made the reserved bluette uncomfortable… But at the same time, her body responded eagerly, a warm flush spreading down to the junction between her legs. This was the first time she had reacted in that way to _anyone, _so the sensation caught her off-guard and she tensed.

"Sorry," Cynthia blurted, assuming that the sudden rigidity of her companion was a rejection. Her warm breath fanned out over the Dragon user's skin and she went tenser still.

"It's fine," Clair assured her, suddenly short of breath.

The new note that entered her voice reflected the heat she felt pooling in her loins and the blonde was subjected to auditory _sex_. She uttered a soft curse, stopping in the middle of the path and seizing the younger girl by the front of her yukata. Clair hadn't noticed until now, when those darkening steel-toned eyes were focused so hungrily on her, how tall the other woman was in comparison; she towered over the blue-haired Gym Leader, predator to Clair's prey. "You're too cute for your own good."

She leaned in, lips slightly parted, and Clair's heart pounded at the thought of being kissed again, but something off in the dark woods caught her attention. Before Cynthia could fully close the distance between them, the Dragon user wheeled, quick-drawing a Poké Ball from the sash tied around her middle, tossing it in the direction of… whatever it was she was sensing, and commanding, "Naomi, _Hydro Pump_!"

The wizened seahorse-like Pokémon burst forth from its container and shot a huge torrent of water from its long snout; there was an alarmed, high-pitched squeal and a distinctly human form fell from a tree, crashing to the ground with a pained grunt.

Gary Oak.

"Watch what you're doing, you crazy bitch!"

Aquamarine orbs narrowed and excitement coursed through Cynthia as that cool, fearsome side of the quiet bluette reared its head. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He started to get to his feet, only to go rolling out of the way as the Dragon user's Kingdra shot another jet of water aimed straight for him. "Hey!"

"You need to be taught some manners." Clair slid into a combat stance, feet spread slightly apart, one hand extended towards Gary and the other held close to her face. She was glad that she had left Yume back in her room. The little Pokémon didn't need to witness her 'mama' kicking the snot out of a spoiled of a brat Champion. Years of studying under the Dragon User Clan's elder had led to a honing of both mind, body, and spirit—all members of the Dragon's Den Shrine had extensive knowledge of martial arts as well as the anatomical weak points of the human body and a bit about reading auras. She had never needed to use that knowledge.

Until now, at least.

The blue-haired Gym Leader waited for her opponent to scramble to his feet before she launched a quick flurry of punches at his abdomen followed by a sweeping roundhouse that sent him crashing back to the ground. She picked him up by the collar of his yukata, once again proving to be much stronger than she appeared, and slammed him into a tree trunk. A feint towards the young man's face made him whimper like a Houndour that had been kicked. "If you ever so much as _think _something insulting about myself or Cynthia again, I will personally kick your ass from here to Pallet Town. Do you understand?"

'_Whoa.' _If she hadn't been there to witness it, Cynthia would never have believed that the young woman was capable of such an aggressive display.

Gary also seemed shocked. When he nodded mutely, he was dropped to the floor; he scrambled to his feet a second time and shot Clair the evil eye before scampering off to lick his wounds.

"Palkia… That was amazing."

Clair smiled slightly. "I didn't—" The arms thrown around her neck cut her off, and she made a pleased sound when Cynthia's lips met hers, sweet and oh so soft. "I like when you do that," she admitted when the blonde pulled away, slightly dazed.

"Then I should do it more often," the older woman said teasingly, leaning in to kiss her again.

The night was still young.

Together, the Trainers headed for the Seagallop Ferry, fingers intertwined as they made their way along the well-lit path.

Knot Island was all lit up, huge spotlights making the night sky look more like broad daylight. The entire island consisted of the inactive volcano, Mt. Ember, into the side of which a cave had been hewn and a natural hot spring had formed.

Raynor was waiting at the mouth of the cave, arms crossed. _"Good evening,"_ he greeted. _"The springs are currently unoccupied. I will watch your belongings for you if you choose to leave them in the cubbies provided."_

He politely turned his head as they undressed in the foyer where Selphy had had a tiled changing room of sorts built complete with little cubby holes for the guests to store their belongings and grab the linens necessary for bathing, then pointed them in the direction of the spring.

The cave was quite a bit deeper than it seemed from the outside; a huge cavern awaited, stalagmites upon which Zubat roosted, enjoying the rising steam from the magma heated water.

Clair was the first one in, carefully stepping into the water and removing her towel bit by bit in such a way that she did not reveal herself to any prying eyes. It was actually quite impressive.

Cynthia's approach was less modest: she tossed her towel onto the rocky bank and dove right in, creating a little tidal wave that nearly swept her companion under. When she resurfaced, she bobbed lazily on her back, flaxen curls fanning around her head in a halo of gold. The alcohol was clearly still affecting her, because she didn't seem to mind at all that her nude form was completely exposed to Clair's wandering gaze.

She was perfect. Clair bit her lip as her eyes raked over the long, delicate column of her throat, down to small, perfect breasts complete with pale pink nipples, a tiny waist, wide, voluptuous hips, endless legs… and the triangle of golden curls that rested between them.

"Cynthia…"

"Yes, sweetie?" That term of endearment again… The affection in her tone made Clair's stomach flip-flop almost painfully.

She bit her lip. "I think… I would like to have sex with you."

There was a loud splash as Cynthia suddenly capsized, unable to maintain buoyancy in her shock—it was great enough to wipe her buzz completely. She resurfaced, spluttering, to give her companion a wide-eyed look. "Goodness," she laughed. "Way to be blunt!"

"Oh… I apologize if that was too forward."

"No, no, I don't mind." The blonde swam closer. "I just wasn't expecting… What makes you say that, anyway?" When the Gym Leader remained silent, her cheeks red, Cynthia released a squeal and tackled her; they both went under with another loud splash.

"You're beautiful, okay?" Clair grumbled once oxygen was available to her once again. The Champion's body was pressed up against hers in a hug, the silken feel of her flesh making the younger woman blush even harder and, just like that, the presence of oxygen didn't matter. '_Holy Mew...' _

Cynthia chuckled, her hands brushing teasingly over supple curves under the cover of the water. "Hey, you're not so bad yourself," she purred into the bluette's ear.

Clair swore something ruptured in her brain.

"Heh. Guess that makes us a couple or somethin'?"

"Mm… I guess."

"'nd I can call you nicknames?"

"Uh-huh…"

A grin. "Anywho, it makes me feel incredibly happy to hear you say that, Clair, but I want you to be mine and mine alone before I claim your body as well. That means this," she rested a warm palm above the Dragon user's heart, "must belong to me."

Cynthia had a rather… romantic view on love and romance.

'_I think it already does…'_

* * *

"_Miss Cynthia… You're being followed."_

The blonde scowled. "I know." Gary Oak, after his little run in with Clair, had taken to shadowing the girls like a sullen cloud. Every chance he got, he intruded on their privacy and was making it increasingly difficult for Cynthia to spend time with the person she most wanted to be with.

"_Would you like me to take care of it?"_

"Please do," she responded. They had made a plan to explore the Tanoby Ruins outside of Quest Island today, but Cynthia had cancelled for fear that the brash young man would make things uncomfortable for her date. She had agreed to meditate with Clair that morning, however, so she was headed to the girl's room now.

As she reached out to knock on the door, Raynor commented softly, _"Something else is bothering you."_

He was correct. As a Champion, she had an image to uphold and Gary threatened that image. He had begun to spread rumors of seedy relations between the Trainers that had no trace of truth in them, but she didn't want to find out what would happen should such slander leave the confines of the Sevii Islands. The other Champions shrugged off what he claimed, saying that they were adults and they could do as they wished, but other Trainers—especially the ones who looked up to the blonde Champion—might not take the news as graciously.

Would the mothers of little girls who wanted to become Champion someday still allow their children to pursue the path of a Pokémon Trainer if their role model was…"a freak"?

_/ "You think they'll still love you when you find out what happened between us? Hah. You're a freak, Cynthia. Who else but me could love you?" /_

Why were these memories plaguing her _now_? She was over it. Helene didn't have any power over her anymore.

"_I will see to it that Gary Oak shall trouble you no longer," _he assured her. _"Please enjoy your time with Miss Clair and do not concern yourself."_

"Come in." That voice made Cynthia feel a little better already.

Clair made Cynthia's heart swell with warm happiness and adoration.

She made the early mornings such as this one seem less awful and the hours fly by.

She made the blonde Champion's sex throb and clench.

Speaking of, the young woman was wearing another one of those short white yukatas, sitting cross- legged under the man-made waterfall. It was nearly transparent under the spray and part of the blonde wished she had gone ahead and taken the beautiful bluette the night before rather than sticking to some sense of gentlewomanly honor. The blue-haired young woman in question opened her eyes at Cynthia's approach and smiled slightly, warmth in those aquamarine orbs. "Good morning."

_Badump. _"Morning… I haven't been up this early in a while."

"The early Pidgey gets the Caterpie." She patted the stone surface next to her. "Join me?"

The water was freezing, it was too early, and she had gone to bed late the previous night (or early that morning, actually). The blonde Trainer had to ask herself for what must have been the hundredth time why in the world she was here.

As she sat down, still cringing from the icy downpour, her companion cupped her cheek and their eyes met.

'_Clair…'_ Of course. Only Clair could have talked her into this—her combination imploring look and slight pout was super effective against the Sinnoh Champion.

This was the first time the blue-haired Trainer had been the one to initiate a kiss; as the younger woman leaned in, Cynthia's gentlewomanly ideals of honor wavered a bit and she closed the distance between them, claiming the other girl's lips and licking along their seam until Clair gasped, the intake of air allowing the blonde Champion's tongue to slip into her mouth and swirl against her own. As fingers entangled themselves in soft blue locks, Clair released a breathy moan that made the blonde's mind plunge straight into the gutters.

She would have pushed Clair onto her back and had her way with the more than willing bluette right then and there, but a knock at the door snapped her back to her senses—

"Champion Cynthia, are you in there?" the poor shmuck that had rocketed to the top of the Gym Leader's black list asked urgently. "It's your Lucario, ma'am. I don't know what it's doing, but Champion Gary is in trouble!"

—And the two burst out laughing.

* * *

"Now Raynor… You know better," Cynthia scolded, making a show of waggling her finger even as the aura Pokémon sensed her mirth.

The Pokémon hung his head as he should in such a situation and looked properly remorseful. _"Apologies, Miss Clair."_

The porter that had discovered the jackal like Pokémon locking Gary Oak in a sphere of aura and forcing terrifying images into his mind looked suspicious, but Selphy beamed. "Let's all just try to get along, okay?"

Gary probably would have sneered, but he was trembling like a Mareep, too spooked for his normal show of unpleasantness.

Cynthia smiled pleasantly, charm on full blast. "But of course."

x.x.x

"_You're leaving soon." _The moment he said it, Clair realized with a pang that Lance was right. She had almost forgotten that she and Cynthia would have to part ways and return to their own regions…

"Yes…"

"_Everything alright?"_

"I've had an amazing time, Lance. Thank you so much for choosing me to be your stand-in," she said sincerely. To think—if Lance hadn't gone off elsewhere, she probably would never have met the beautiful blonde Champion. "What are you doing anyway?"

"_I'm on a top-secret mission," _he responded, lowering his voice. There was a sound like two boulders moving past one another in the background and she nearly missed his next question: _"So how's your girlfriend?"_

She hadn't turned on the video share function and she was glad for that small blessing because at the word "girlfriend"—though it was true—her cheeks had gone through seven shades of crimson. "She's great."

"_You two keeping out of trouble?" _Lance asked, tone knowing.

"What are you implying?!"

He laughed. _"I was messing around. Geez. You're as serious as ever—there's no way you two have done it yet."_

"_LANCE_!"

**-End Chapter-**

If anyone's interested in what Lance is doing, I could toss in a short chapter focused on him o.o! Just let me know.


	7. The Missing Champion

This'll be shorter than the average chapter, but it's chock-full of action! Here we go.

**-The Missing Champion-**

"_Thunder!_"

Mt Silver's highest peak was illuminated briefly, snow-covered stark whiteness against the dark indigo of the evening sky, by a burst of electricity that struck its target, a blue turtle-like Pokémon with two large cannons jutting out of its shell, and felled it instantly.

The Pokémon that had launched the attack, a beige Dragon-type with wings that were way too small to hold such a great body aloft, zipped by, turning loops in mid-air and roaring, "Dragonite!"

"Tch. I'd expect no less from a Champion," the Blastoise's trainer, a brown-haired young man donning a red and white baseball cap with a Poké Ball emblazoned above the brim, said. "Alright. Charizard, go!"

An orange, bipedal, dragon-like Pokémon burst forth in a ray of crimson, roaring a gout of flames as it faced off against its opponent.

Lance smirked, though the expression was a tad bit forced. The younger male's team was incredibly strong. This was his second to last Pokémon and he was seriously beginning to rethink his chances of winning this battle.

"Dragonite, _Hyper Beam!"_

"Charizard, _Flamethrower_!"

Simultaneously, the Pokémon opened their mouths, the former's eyes glowing white as a massive ball of like-coloured energy swelled, while embers swirled in the latter's; a beam of light shot forth to meet a pillar of flame, the two attacks connecting dead-on and pushing back and forth in a tug of war for supremacy.

Unfortunately, it was the flames that won and Lance's Dragonite's attack was cancelled out by a blazing torrent that sent the Pokémon crashing to the ground where it fell still.

One Pokémon left. The Indigo League Champion swore quietly, recalling his fallen Dragonite and pulling the final red and white sphere from his belt. This was it.

"Go! Aerodactyl!"

The ancient Pokémon sprung from its Poké Ball, screeching as it flapped gray, bat-like wings, and Lance commanded, "_Rock Slide!_"

He heard the younger man swear before the low roar of two rock faces sliding past one another drowned out the sound of his voice: a landslide of earth came pouring down from the peak. Charizard managed to dart out of harm's way for a time, but the larger projectiles managed to strike it, knocking it out of the air; its crash-landing created a crater, dust and fragments of stone obscuring both combatants from view.

It could only Flinch as Lance pointed and said, "Finish it with _Ancient Power._"

The Aerodactyl opened its great maw, jagged teeth parting to reveal a silver sphere of energy that blasted forward and struck the Charizard in the middle of its crème-coloured stomach, instantly reducing the Pokémon's Hit Points to 0.

He was still in this.

"You've gotten better, Lance," the Trainer acknowledged coolly, recalling his Fainted Pokémon.

"And you're as strong as ever, Red."

Red—the _true_ Champion of the Indigo League. Only here in the mountains could one experience such a harrowing test of strength and quick thinking. Once upon a time, he had wiped the floor with Lance, only to turn down the title of Champion in favor of secluding himself on Mt Silver, leaving whispered rumors of his greatness in his wake.

At only 16, he had already become something of a legend to young Trainers who aspired to be the very best.

Lance had been trying in secret to convince the young man to come down and join the other Champions for years to no avail.

"Heh. I think I should end this." He glanced down at the yellow and black mouse-like creature at his feet. This Pokémon needed no Poké Ball—nor would it submit to being contained in one. It had been his very first Pokémon at the beginning of his journey and remained by his side after what felt like a lifetime later as his strongest ally. "You ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" it chirped, hopping forward, electricity sparking in the red spots on its cheeks.

"Aerodactyl, _Rock Slide_!" Lance ordered, his cape fluttering as his Pokémon flapped its great wings to gain altitude, eyes glowing blue as it created another rain of boulders.

"Get close to it, Pikachu."

"Chu." With a curt nod, the electric mouse was off, its little body a yellow blur as it bounced from boulder to boulder, the attack serving as a network of platforms rather than a threat.

Just what was he up to?

"Knock Pikachu away with a _Wing Attack!"_

The Aerodactyl's wings glowed white, but Red only laughed. "_Volt Tackle._"

Instantly, the Pikachu's body became enveloped in a crackling mass of electrical energy and it leaped, flying at the winged Pokémon at a speed that couldn't be avoided; the collision created a blinding surge of light that sent a wave of heat out in all directions.

When the light had faded, Pikachu was sitting atop the back of an unconscious Aerodactyl.

"Beaten again," Lance groaned, scratching the back of his head. "And you seriously won't come back with me?"

"I prefer the solitude up here, Lance," the young man responded seriously. "I didn't defeat you for your title—I defeated you to prove to myself that I was stronger." He smirked. "You still owe me lunch, though."

"Yeah, yeah, I didn't forget." He recalled his Pokémon, his pride a bit sore. "Let's stop by the Pokémon Center at the foot of the mountains, then."

Ah, well. There was always next year.

**-End Chapter-**

I went with the Red from Pokémon Crystal Version and added a bit of Ash from the anime (minus his total lack of badassery). I remember being terrified of him as a kid o-e He was quite possibly the toughest battle I had ever faced-which was why it was curious that Lance was Champion and not him. I know, I know, the Silver/Gold/Crystal Versions didn't have _Volt Tackle_, but that's a pretty important move from the anime so I think it can be forgiven for cheating. Haha. Let me know what you thought.


	8. Promises From the Champion

I do not mention Giratina here because, honestly, Cynthia's interest lies in Palkia and Dialga—not the red-headed stepchild. Haha~ x)

**-Promises From the Champion-**

That night, Clair had a nightmare for the first time in years.

_/Two huge Pokémon were locked in combat, one a pale pink and the other a deep blue. Their gargantuan forms collided again and again, mountains crumbling and oceans surging around them, until a third Pokémon appeared in a sunburst of white light. This Pokémon dwarfed the other two in both size and presence, its porcelain, horse-like body glistening in the sunlight._

_A series of dulcet notes drifted through the morning air, barely able to be heard above the clamor._

"_Stop your petty squabbles," it boomed and everything fell still—as though the world was holding its breath. _

_Suddenly all three of them were in an ivory-tiled room lined by pillars._

_The pink Pokémon bowed its ridged head. "Apologies."_

_The blue Pokémon stomped a clawed foot. "For what purpose have you summoned me here?"_

"_It was not I that summoned you, Dialga."_

'_Dialga'? That meant the other was—_

"_Palkia…" Cynthia gasped. She was wearing a simple white dress, her long hair tied up in a ponytail._

_The Pokémon rounded on the woman, behemoths that loomed over her much smaller form._

"_Who are you?" Dialga demanded._

"_How did you get here?" Palkia asked at the exact same time._

"_I am Arceus, human," the great white Pokémon stated, sending its companions a quelling look. "Do you understand what you have done by journeying to the Hall of Origin?"_

"_I do." She held up a small round object with holes drilled into the top—a flute. "I found this during my travels along with a script in Unknown telling of Arceus, "The Original One." According to my research, if you manage to summon it with the Azure Flute, you can have your greatest wish made real."_

"_Everything comes at a price," it warned her. _

_There was no hesitation at all. The woman nodded curtly. "Make it so."_

_There was a crack of lightning and the rumble of thunder. The gems embedded in Palkia's broad shoulders and Dialga's chest glowed as did the golden webbing along Arceus's midsection and lower body. _

"_What is your wish?" All three asked at the same time, their voices one._

"_Bring Clair back. I can't…" The blonde Champion closed her eyes, but a tear slipped out nonetheless and ran down her cheek. "I need her."_

"_So it shall be: a life for a life."_

_Cynthia's body rose into the air, the same light the Legendaries possessed shining out of her eyes and mouth._

"_A life for a life…" she whispered, her body freezing and hardening into slate. /_

"NO!" Clair yelled, bolting upright. She didn't think about it; she hurtled out of her room and down the hallway and next thing she knew, she was standing before Cynthia's door and the blonde Champion was answering it, expression irate.

"Who the he—Clair?" Irritation melted immediately into concern. "You're shaking… What happened?" When the bluette flew at her, throwing her arms around the older woman's neck, the blonde caught her and retreated inside, closing the door behind them. She made soothing sounds as she crossed the room, settling on her bed with Clair in her lap. "You going to tell me what's wrong, sweetheart?"

'Sweetheart'—Right, they were… Dating. That would take quite some getting used to.

She shook her head, clenching the silken fabric of the black nighty Cynthia wore to bed tightly.

"Okay…" The older woman didn't pry anymore—just stroked her fingers through the loose waves of Clair's hair which had been let down for bed. "I'm flattered that you came to me when something was troubling you." She laughed. "It's strange, but it makes me feel special."

"I don't think you're strange," Clair mumbled, calmed by the woman's gentle affections.

"No? Well, I'm glad." She gave the younger girl a squeeze, completely willing to do whatever it took to comfort and protect. "Would you like to sleep here with me tonight?"

There was no response; she was already fast asleep.

~O~

Clair arched her spine, stretching and yawning promptly at 6AM as she normally did. She felt well rested and incredibly comfortable—so much so that she allowed herself to lounge in bed for a little longer.

She rolled over… And recoiled, nearly screaming when she came face-to-face with her bedmate.

_Bedmate._

Clair, "The Blessed User of Dragon Pokémon," Gym Leader of Blackthorn City did _not _share a bed others. Ever. Even when she had been younger, she had chosen sleeping on the floor over cohabitating a bed with one of the shrine maidens. There was just something so vulnerable about doing so that bothered her.

Falling asleep with Cynthia around before had been one thing, but sharing a bed with her was a completely different matter. The previous night came rushing back and she scowled, embarrassed by how she had reacted to a silly dream—a figment of her imagination.

Jarred awake by the sudden movement, the aforementioned blonde's eyelids fluttered open. "You've woken me twice in one morning," she husked sleepily. "If you were anyone else, Clair, I'd kill you."

"_She means it," _Raynor said from his hammock.

The scowl dropped. "Sorry…"

The Champion chuckled and reached out to pull the younger woman closer. She frowned slightly when the bluette resisted. "Is something wrong, sweetie?"

That term of endearment threw her off again—or perhaps it was the affection behind it. "I'm not used to this…"

"To what exactly?" She propped herself up on one arm, expression encouraging.

"Any of this," Clair sighed. "I'm not used to anyone being so kind and caring. I'm not used to letting my guard down so much and having someone get so close… And I am _especially_ not used to sharing a bed with anyone."

"Is that bad?"

She didn't know how to answer that so she shrugged.

"You don't have to keep your guard up when you're with me, Clair," Cynthia said seriously. She smiled slightly. "I'll protect you. I promise."

Despite herself, Clair felt comforted by the older woman's words and she allowed herself to be pulled closer, her body fitting perfectly into the curve of Cynthia's. The blonde pressed a kiss to her shoulder and settled down; soon her breathing was the measured in and out of unconsciousness.

"Hey, Raynor?"

"_Yes?" _he responded, matching her quietness.

"Is she always like this?"

"_You would be the first. Miss Cynthia is rarely this attached to anything—much less any one person." _He hesitated. _"Not even Miss Helene."_

"Helene…?" This was the first time she had heard that name.

"_That is a story for another time."_

* * *

It was noon and no one had seen any trace of either Clair or Cynthia.

They hadn't been down for breakfast or lunch and they hadn't come to the conference discussing the possibility of new challengers for the "Champion" title. The other Champions knew that this was normal for Cynthia, who wasn't much of a morning person, but the Dragon user made a habit of waking up early and was usually among the others even when the blonde she had become attached at the hip with wasn't.

Which was why it was strange to not see either of them.

Raynor sighed, resigned to his fate as a butler for the time being. He knew it would be time to return to the Sinnoh region soon and that was why his mistress had selfishly barricaded herself in her room along with Clair and refused to see anyone else. As he slipped into the kitchen, unseen by the bustling chefs wheeling out platters laden with lunch foods or even the Champions sitting at the dining hall table, gossiping about the fate of their colleagues, he had to wonder how long Cynthia's happiness would last once the two were forced to part ways.

When he returned to the blonde Champion's room, he paused at the door, a tray of food in his paws. The hair-like extensions at the back of his head stood on end and he shut his eyes, seeking whatever disturbance in the aura he was sensing. It was coming from inside the room.

He entered without knocking,—something he never did—free paw balled into a fist and ready to vanquish whatever foe was within, but he saw only Clair and Cynthia, the latter of which frowned disapprovingly at his rudeness.

"_Ah… Apologies. I thought I sensed something." _As he handed Clair the tray, her fingers brushed his fur and he flinched as some scene—

_/ Cynthia's body rose into the air, the same light the Legendaries possessed shining out of her eyes and mouth._

"_A life for a life…" she whispered, her body freezing and hardening into slate. /_

—Flashed through his mind's eye.

Crimson eyes peered intently at the blue-haired girl, but she didn't seem to notice anything amiss as she helped herself to the food he brought with gusto.

"_Miss Clair," _he projected privately. _"You had a nightmare last night, correct?"_

She nodded slightly, expression guarded. Whatever it was she had dreamed, it couldn't have been good. Her feelings of dread were so strong that they were affecting the ebb and flow of her aura.

"_Take care._ _As a user of aura, your emotions are capable of affecting those around you. If you are not careful, someone could be harmed. I hear that humans benefit from speaking about what is troubling them. " _He didn't explain any further, just bid the Trainers farewell and exited the room.

"What was that about?"

Clair nibbled on a carrot, expression thoughtful. "Mm…"

Cynthia deflated. "I feel as though I'm the only one not in on this secret."

Guilt made the bluette sigh and say, "I had a nightmare last night... It was about you."

"Me?"

"Mhmm."

"Well that's ominous. Care to elaborate?"

"There were three giant Pokémon: Palkia, Dialga, and Arceus." Immediately, Cynthia's expression became fascinated and the Dragon user had to smile. The care and interest she put into her work was just another thing to lo—_like_ about the older woman. "You summoned them using something called the Azure Flute and they granted you a wish in exchange for your life…"

"How did you know about the Azure Flute?" Cynthia asked, genuinely astonished. "I haven't told anyone about it besides Raynor and Steven."

"You… Have it now?" Clair asked, panic making her throat constrict.

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" The blonde scrambled to her feet and went over to her desk, pulling a key from the breast pocket of her cloak and unlocking the drawer furthest to the left. From it, she pulled a familiar blue object and the Gym Leader felt her heart sink. "I found it a while back while I was exploring some ruins in Sinnoh. You say you saw me summon the Legendaries with it? That's amazing!"

"Promise me something," she insisted. "Promise me you won't summon them no matter how badly you want a wish."

She had never seen the younger woman so dead set against something. It intrigued her. "You never told me: what was the wish anyway? And what happened to me?"

Clair shook her head. "Promise."

"I promise," Cynthia said without hesitation. "What would I even wish for? Everything I want is right here—with you." She cupped the Dragon user's cheek and smiled. "Whatever you dreamed about isn't going to happen, Clair. I'm here."

Mew, she hoped so.

* * *

This was the final day of their stay. Rested and re-energized, the Champions were set to return to their own regions for the rest of the year to accept challenge after challenge until they were finally toppled and a new Champion was crowned. Barring that occurrence, they would be back here around the same time the following year.

Clair sighed and Yume cooed questioningly, curling up in her mistress's lap. The little Pokémon wasn't quite as little as it had been, and the Dragon user knew from experience that it would evolve sooner than later. It had been shedding its skin at an uncommonly fast rate, though the bluette suspected that that was because of all of the careful attention it was getting. Patting Yume on the head, the Gym Leader turned her attention to the huge auditorium where Iris had sent out her Hydreigon, a huge, terrifying Dragon and Dark hybrid with heads where its clawed hands should have been, and was trying to convince Cynthia to show her the only Dragon-type the blonde Champion owned—her infamous Garchomp.

Honestly, Clair was also curious as to just how strong the Pokémon was.

"I can't send Zyra out for just any reason," the older woman was saying. "She'll expect a battle."

"So battle me!"

"As tempting as that sounds, I'd rather not have Alder chew my head off for breaking the rules."

"Puh-leeeeeeease?" Iris begged, hopping from one foot to the other. "I won't tell—promise!"

The blonde was looking at her, steel-coloured gaze questioning.

'_She's asking me for permission…?' _It was strange, but the young woman nodded and received a smile and a wink.

"Alright—for my darling Clair. Let's do this, kid."

'_Darling...?' _There was the uncomfortable flip flop again. Clair blushed but couldn't help but smile in return. All of a sudden, she wanted to hug the older woman.

Cynthia pulled a pure white sphere from the pocket of her cloak and tugged the furry collar up, over her nose and mouth. Clair soon understood why as the blonde lobbed her Premier Ball calling, "Zyra, let's do it!" and a _Sandstorm _poured out, fierce winds howling. The bluette caught sight of two glowing red eyes before it obscured both combatants from view.

'_What is this?' _Yume ducked under the Dragon user's cape, peeking out around her body. "Dra…!"

"_You would do best to move from here, Miss Clair. Zyra can be rather… excitable." _

Clair lifted a hand to shield her eyes. "I want to see."

"_Miss Cynthia told me to watch over you—"_

"So watch me over there." She pointed to where she had last seen Cynthia.

Raynor sighed. _"As you wish…"_

He allowed her to rest a hand on his shoulder as they made their way closer to the battle and even offered to take the squirming Yume from her when the Dragon-type began to protest their proximity to the combatants.

She could sense danger.

The closer they got, the easier it was to see; Clair stumbled backwards and would have fallen had Raynor not been there to steady her vague form darted past her, the wind in its wake strong enough to knock her down. The blur stopped long enough for the Gym Leader to make out a large dark blue body with protruding fins, pointed appendages and a blunt snout all resembling those of a hammerhead shark before it was in motion again, colliding with the black and blue form of Iris's Hydreigon.

Cynthia was laughing as the Hydreigon's smaller heads shot twin beams of fire and electricity and her Garchomp evaded them effortlessly. In fact, the Pokémon's lips were drawn back to reveal several rows of sharp fangs—as though it was smiling.

"Zyra, let's finish this. _Dragon Rush._"

The Garchomp released a roar that shook the heavens as rounded horns glowed blue and it advanced on its opponent.

"Don't count me out just yet!" Iris returned, pointing at her opponent. "Get ready!" The Hydreigon's middle head opened its mouth and a turquoise ball of energy began to accumulate, swirling as it grew in mass. "Hydra, _Dragon Pulse!_"

The energy blasted forward just as Zyra's entire body became enveloped in a bright blue energy in the vague form of a dragon; the two forces collided and there was another roar as the Garchomp caught the _Dragon Pulse _and knocked it aside then smashed into Iris's Hydreigon with earthshattering force.

An explosion of white hot light enveloped the battle field. When it cleared, there was only Cynthia and Iris in the middle of a newly-formed crater; the latter was sprawled out on the ground and the former stood over her, offering a hand.

"So… strong," Iris groaned, not moving. "Just, _wow_."

The blonde Champion smiled. "You're strong too, Iris, but Zyra and I have never been beaten."

"I can see why." The violet-haired girl's bottom lip protruded in a pout. "You took me out in no time flat—your Garchomp's just too fast!"

"It isn't known as the "Mach Pokémon" for nothing."

Clair blinked, unaccustomed to such friendly banter after a loss. Still… With the raw power she had just witnessed, she supposed she'd be just as dumbfounded as Iris seemed. She returned Cynthia's warm smile and started in their direction when Iris sat bolt upright.

"OMIGOSH, SELPHY'S GONNA KILL US!"

x.x.x

"_Homeward bound!"_

"Mhmm…"

"_You don't sound so happy. You'll get to see me soon!"_ When she didn't so much as roll her eyes, Lance frowned. He hadn't seen his cousin so dejected in a while. _"Sinnoh and Johto aren't _that_ far apart, you know."_

Since when was she so transparent? Cynthia must have been rubbing off on her. "I know…"

"_And I'm sure Cynthia will show her face around the Dragon's Den so often that the shrine maidens will start chasing _her_ out instead of me."_

The thought of the matronly women chasing down the fleeing blonde made her smile slightly. "I strongly doubt that. She's very charming."

"_Humph. And I'm not?" _

"You said it, not me."

"_Clair, I'm wounded."_

"You'll be fine," she responded, her calm seriousness back in place.

Lance grinned. _"I'll see you soon, cousin."_

**-End Chapter—**

Ah, the happy couple parts ways. See you next time!


	9. Saying Goodbye to the Champion

Happy 4th, guys!

**-Saying Goodbye to the Champion-**

"Cynthia!" Clair actually grinned, ecstatic to see her girlfriend. "Girlfriend"—after several months, that was _still _strange to think or say.

"Hey, sweetheart." The blonde caught the diminutive Trainer and actually spun her around, raining affectionate kisses all over the bluette's beautiful face. "I missed you…"

It was then that they realized that they had an audience.

The Dragon Clan Elder cleared his throat. "Champion Cynthia, I've heard so much about you from Lance and Clair. Please, join us for dinner?"

At first, the blonde had been surprised that Clair's extended family was fine with the partner she had chosen, but after seeing the Shrine maidens gather around her and giggle, whispering and sending glances in the Champion's direction, Cynthia was beginning to understand that they all were actually quite excited that Clair had found someone that she cared for.

After dinner, they all gathered in the parlor—the Gym was divided into the main hall where all official battles were carried out and the living quarters where Clair, Lance, and the Elder resided—to trade stories of their journey with Pokémon, but as the night passed on, the blonde found herself being herded rather insistently into Clair's room. She was surprised by the action and the knowing looks from both the Elder and Lance didn't help the way her mind dove suddenly into the gutters.

Alone time with Clair…

That was why she felt surprised when she was snuck out of the bluette's window and into the cooling night air, every attempt at a question shushed by the domineering young woman.

"This way," Clair said quietly, tangling her fingers through her partner's and leading her towards the gaping hole in the mountainside behind the gym.

"Dragon's Den. No outsiders permitted" a sign outside read.

'_So much for that,' _the blonde mused as they entered.

~O~

Clair grinned as Cynthia gaped: the grotto's waters were alight with red and white lights from the submerged Pokémon that the full moon's tide had brought in; the beams refracted onto the walls of the cave like a sort of laser light show, shimmering and warping into many fantastic shades.

It was beautiful to say the least.

"What's that?" the blonde asked, pointing to the little temple.

She had almost forgotten that the Dragon Clan Elder had a penchant for older Japanese objects and practices not usually found throughout the other regions. "That's a temple for prayer cards. You write down your fondest wish and present it here for Jirachi to grant."

Steel coloured eyes shone excitedly. The blonde loved new experiences. "May I try?"

The temple was a resident-only thing but… She couldn't very well deny the older woman when she made that face. From a different lock box underneath the wooden deck she withdrew a square stone tablet with a red rope looped through a hole towards the top, a brush, and an inkwell of red ink. As she handed them to Cynthia, she warned, "You only get one wish, so make sure it's really what you want."

"What did _you_ wish for?"

The Dragon user shrugged. "I haven't made a wish yet."

"Why's that?" She tilted the stone tablet upwards so that Clair couldn't see the words she was painting with broad strokes.

"I guess I've never really thought about it," the bluette admitted.

"Well why don't you write one now?"

She still didn't really have anything to wish for, did she? "I'll think about it. What about you?"

"I can't share it or it won't come true!"

"Cynthia, that applies to birthday cakes and shooting stars."

"Hmph. It hardly seems fair if I'm sharing and you're not."

Clair caught the playful tone in her statement and scoffed, but played along nonetheless. "Okay, what do you want in exchange?"

The blonde made a thoughtful sound—as though she didn't already have something schemed. "I want… A kiss."

"How did I know?" She rolled her eyes, but a smile tweaked the corners of her lips and she leaned in, planting a sweet kiss on Cynthia's cheek.

"Clair…" the blonde whined. "You know what I meant."

"_Fine_." She locked her arms around the older woman's neck and pulled her in, teasingly running her tongue over her full bottom lip. When Cynthia made a soft, pleased sound, Clair claimed the Champion's lips, ravishing her mouth with slow, drugging strokes of her tongue.

Something about the romantic setting—or maybe it was just hormones—made her more daring than usual and she cupped the blonde's breast through her tank top, kneading the cloth-covered mound gently. When Cynthia grabbed her wrist, she half expected to be pushed away and admonished; the older woman was always the little angel on Clair's shoulder who reminded her that "good things came to those who waited" when relations got too heated.

The Dragon user could understand honor and dignity and patience, but honestly… Cynthia had to be a saint to be able to continue ignoring her baser instincts like this.

… Which was why the bluette was surprised when her hand was guided into the woman's top, past her bra to touch warm, soft flesh.

'_Oh… My…_' Before she realized it, she was tweaking rosy nipples, their tongues dancing in earnest, and Cynthia was making throaty sounds of pleasure that sent chills down Clair's spine. She pushed the older woman onto her back, instinctively straddling her lap—neither of them paying any mind to the clatter or sharp _'crack' _of breaking glass as the things that had previously occupied it fell to the stones—and—

The shrill ring of a Pokégear in the otherwise peaceful quiet caused both women to jump.

The blonde Champion's eyebrows drew together as she pulled the device out of her coat pocket and flipped it open with a curt, "What is it?" Her annoyance melted a moment later, however, and her eyes widened. "Wow, really? That's fantastic!"

"Fantastic" indeed. Clair shifted uncomfortably, her core throbbing with want. She had never lusted before and this was driving her a little mad. Of all the times for someone to call, it would be now—when the blonde seemed totally on board with ignoring her conscience and doing the dirty.

"No, no, of course. I'll head back to Celestic tomorrow mor—" She paused, steel coloured orbs lingering on Clair for a moment. "—Er, _night_. I'm busy right now." Her cheeks flushed. "How did you…? Ugh. Steven says "hello," Clair."

What was going on? "Hello, Steven."

"She says "hello" back. Mhmm. We can leave the day after tomorrow. I'll see you soon." She hung up and grinned brightly, grabbing the bluette's hands. "You'll never believe it."

"Believe what?"

"As you know, Steven Stone and I share an interest in ruins and artifacts. I described the place in your dream and its connection to the Azure Flute and we've been researching any possible matches—"

Clair's heart sank and she felt her throat constrict. She couldn't have…

"—and he believes he's found a legend of a way into that place—it's called the Hall of Origins—through Mt. Coronet! This is _huge _news. If we find Palkia or Dialga or even Arceus itself… Why, that would be the discovery of a lifetime!"

Such enthusiasm… She _should _have been thrilled like a good girlfriend, but instead she found that she couldn't remain in place. The dream and how it had ended flashed through her mind's eye and she felt panic rise up in her chest, her stomach roiling.

Abruptly, the bluette rose to her feet, muttering, "Excuse me," as she bolted.

* * *

Why was she behaving like this? Like—like a child? The frustrated tears that welled up at the corner of her eyes had no business being there as Cynthia was a grown woman and could do as she pleased.

So what if she went off on another adventure and one that was possibly dangerous? Why was her heart pounding painfully and her insides twisting like so many Ekans? That negative feeling beneath her breast was making her feel ill. There was absolutely no reason to respond like this.

So what if she went off… Without Clair.

After an entire month of travelling and Champion… stuff, she had finally found the time to visit. And here she was planning to jet off for Mew knew how long.

It was childish, but she couldn't help but feel upset.

"Who knew I had an abandonment complex," she mumbled to Yume.

The Pokémon looked up at the Trainer from her lap, large eyes swirling a concerned yellow. "Dratini?"

"I just…" The bluette sighed and petted the little Dragon's snout. "What if something happens to her?"

The very thought of anything bad happening to Cynthia—

A single tear slid down Clair's nose bridge and plonked Yume right on the snout. For a moment, the Pokémon actually appeared to be surprised, but if any expression had been there, it was consumed by a flash of intense white light so bright that the young woman lifted a hand to shield her eyes even as she turned her face away.

Suddenly, the weight in the Dragon user's lap quadrupled.

As the light faded, a Dragonair reared up and coiled around Clair's shoulders, nuzzling into her cheek with its dainty snout.

"Y-Yume…?" She had only shed her skin a few more times since coming home. Surely it wasn't time to evolve just yet?

"_Ah, I've found you." _Raynor hopped down from a peak above the little nook the pair had taken refuge in, landing neatly. His eyes were closed, the appendages at the back of his head standing on edge. _"Miss Clair, I warned you to be careful. Your negative emotions are causing your aura to fluctuate wildly. Even little Yume is responding to it."_

"You mean she evolved because of me?"

"_Yes. She believed that you were in danger of some sort. I told you: your emotions are able to effect those around you if they are strong enough."_

Wait… Did that mean that Cynthia's lapse earlier had been because of the lust Clair herself had experienced? "Why is my aura so strong?"

"_It is a result of your training as a member of your Clan. Your meditation makes it so that your aura burns brightly. Miss Cynthia's aura is strong as well, but she does not possess the ability to harness it as you do." _At the mention of the blonde Champion's name, Clair's aura recoiled and the jackal-like Pokémon's brow furrowed. _"What exactly is causing you to react this way? I had almost thought that you were under attack when I first sensed you."_

"It's nothing."

"_Are you certain?" _His pointed ears swiveled. _"Miss Cynthia is worried. Will you come back with me? It grows late."_

He was right, of course. The young woman struggled to her feet, staggering a bit under the unfamiliar weight of the cooing Dragon-type. "You're going to be too big to do that soon," she grumbled.

"Dra!"

"_That plan may not be advisable," _Reynor responded.

It was the first time Clair had seen her Pokémon address him directly. "What did she say?"

"_She said that the ground was dirty and she would stay this size so that you could carry her."_

The Dragon user laughed, her spirits lifting a bit. "I never realized that I was raising such a brat."

Cynthia was pacing by the window when they climbed through it, gnawing worriedly on her bottom lip. When she saw Clair, a rather long Dragonair wrapped several times around her waist like a belt, she rushed over and hugged the younger woman.

"Why'd you rush off like that?" she questioned over Yume's sound of protest. When she was prodded by a sharp little horn, she yelped and stepped back, glaring at the serpentine Pokémon. "What was that for?"

"Dragonair. Dra!"

"I don't think Yume appreciates being squished."

Cynthia blinked. "Yume…? She evolved!"

"Mhmm. I'm tired. I'm going to go to bed."

The bluette made as if to move past the blonde, but she was stopped. "What's gotten into you, Clair?" She tried to make eye contact with the shorter woman to no avail and finally cupped her cheek, tilting her face so that their eyes met. "Talk to me, sweetie."

A tremor ran through Clair and her Dragonair made a low, warning sound, responding to the distressed aura it sensed.

"_Miss Clair!" _Raynor warned, the appendages raising slightly.

Right—control. The Dragon user closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, focusing her thoughts inward. When she exhaled, eyelids fluttering open, her aura had settled considerably. "I'm sorry."

Cynthia shook her head and leaned in to rest her forehead against Clair's, making sure this time that she didn't crowd Yume. "Don't worry about it. Come to bed?"

"I…"

"I know you don't like sharing a bed, but… We won't see each other for a little while." Those steel coloured orbs were warm and inviting, as was her tone. "Pretty please?"

"… Okay."

The blonde's smile was radiant and the bluette felt her heart flutter. The older woman was so beautiful it hurt sometimes. She picked up the Poké Ball from her desk and pressed it against Yume's snout, recalling the Dragonair in a flash of crimson. Raynor wisely showed himself out after bidding both girls goodnight.

As she changed for bed, she was aware of Cynthia's wandering gaze and shot the Champion a questioning look.

"Just admiring." She chuckled. "I'm so unbelievably lucky."

"Lucky?"

"Lucky that I have you." She had come a long way since Helene. Cynthia reached out, catching the bluette's hand and pulling her into the bed. She spooned the younger woman's smaller form, nuzzling her long hair. "I love you, Clair."

The admission was so totally unexpected that it made the Dragon user's mental processes grind to a halt even as her heart skipped a beat and a flock of Butterfree set up residence in her stomach. She blinked, completely at a loss as to how to respond.

"You don't have to say anything just yet," Cynthia said softly. "I just wanted you to know. Getting to know you… I couldn't help but fall head over heels."

Why did it feel as though she was saying goodbye?

~O~

Time flew when you didn't want it to pass.

As excited as she was about her expedition, Cynthia couldn't help but wish she had more time with Clair. From the moment she had been woken up by a gentle kiss from the bluette in her arms, the clock seemed to be running at an accelerated pace, speeding them towards their inevitable parting.

It tore her in two, but she couldn't miss this chance to discover something great.

The Dragon user was even more reserved than usual and that worried the blonde. She hadn't said a word during any of her chores around the shrine. "Hey, um, Clair?"

"Mm?" She didn't stop sweeping, didn't look up. From the foaming waters around the temple the giant head of a Gyarados surfaced, dripping water all over the deck as it nuzzled its mistress. "Hey, Undine," Clair greeted, scratching the ridge along the Pokémon's snout.

Cynthia watched, amused, as the younger woman was nearly bowled over by the gargantuan Water-type. By the time it had returned to the depths, Clair's yukata was dripping wet and she entered the shrine to fetch the spare clothes she kept there for such an occasion.

"I'll be back before you know it," the blonde said, following her inside. The building was deserted during this time of day.

"I know."

"And I'll bring you back something shiny."

The bluette reached up absentmindedly to touch the Plate around her throat. "Mm…"

"I'll call you every night."

"You'd better not forget."

"And I'll be perfectly safe. I'll have Raynor to protect me."

Finally, aquamarine orbs slid to the blonde Champion. "I hope you're right."

"Hey, when have I ever let you down?" She gave the bluette her most charming smile and felt her heart warm when she received a small smile in return. "That's my Clair."

"Yeah, yeah. Come, or we'll be late for dinner." Cynthia grabbed her hand, pressing a sweet kiss to the back of it and entwining their fingers. "Hey, Cynthia?"

"Yes?"

It had been gnawing at the back of her brain since Raynor had mentioned the name. "Who is Helene?"

The blonde's expression went blank—completely and utterly expressionless—as though all emotion had been sucked right out of her. Even her grip went slack. "How do you know about her?"

That reaction wasn't comforting. "Raynor mentioned her. He said she was important to you. Who is she?"

"… She was my ex."

She stopped walking. "Oh." That sharp spike of something akin to irritation… Where had it come from?

"Helene broke my heart." There was something haunted in those steel-coloured orbs and Clair immediately felt guilty for being cross. "I had thought that I had found love, but I was wrong in the end. All she wanted was to ride the coattails of my fame and fortune."

That must have been what Raynor had meant when he mentioned people taking advantage of the kind blonde.

"Would you… Like to talk about it?" Emotional discussions weren't the bluette's forte, but she would do anything to erase the pain she caught a glimpse of as it flashed across the older woman's features.

"There's nothing to talk about. I was young and stupid. She made me believe that no one would ever care about me but her and kept me wrapped around her little finger. I know better than that now."

But there was a sort of lilt to her voice at the end of the statement—as though she wasn't quite sure of it. Clair detangled their fingers and wrapped her arms around the taller woman. "I care about you, Cynthia. You mean the world to me."

A tremor ran through the blonde and she cleared her throat. "I never did tell you what I wished for."

This smile was slow in coming, but positively resplendent. She had gone back to the prayer card temple to clean up the glass for fear that an oceanic Pokémon might be harmed and seen the latest addition to the arrangement of tablets: a slate with a single word on it in neat brush strokes—_Clair._

She squeezed Cynthia's hand. "I think Jirachi might just grant your wish."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm."

Cynthia was in her heart. She would be gone for a while… But that would make her return all the sweeter.

**-End Chapter-**

More adventure ahead :D Remember to review.


	10. Missing the Champion

So I guess I'll do as suggested and show a bit more of Clair's interactions with her Dragon-types o-o as well as her Gym Leader-ly duties. Also, I capitalized the status effects, such as Fainted or Confused, just to more easily differentiate between the Pokémon usage and the normal usage.

**-Missing the Champion-**

Clair sat cross-legged on the platform at the end of the Blackthorn Gym's battlefield opposite her opponent, eyes closed. She opened them as the young woman who was to act as their battle judge stepped out into the middle of the rectangular field.

"Trainer Joel challenges Gym Leader Clair for the Rising Badge." The speaker was one of the newer shrine maidens—Minako was her name, if Clair remembered correctly. She had been training in the Brass Tower for some time and the Elder had handed her off to Clair to "test her worth" by running the gauntlet of duties the shrine maidens were expected to do. Basically, she had been a personal assistant to the Blessed User of Dragon Pokémon and… seemed to be in awe of the bluette. It made the aforementioned woman slightly uncomfortable, but that was another matter. "Do you accept?"

These formalities were so troublesome. "I accept."

"Each Trainer may use only three of the Pokémon in their current parties. You may begin!"

Smiling half-heartedly at the beaming smile she received, Clair rose smoothly and unclipped a Poké Ball from her belt, tossing it over her shoulder, towards the pool that rang around the stage's outer edges. "Let's go, Undine."

"Tch. I only need one. Hitmonchan, I choose you!" Her challenger, a teenaged boy with spiky green hair, pumped his fist and grinned cockily. "Prepare to lose, lady."

The young woman straightened her spine, her unwavering aquamarine orbs taking on an intensity that was enough to make the boy's grin fade a bit as he quickly averted his own gaze. "Undine, _Twister_."

Purple-tinted winds roared all around the Hitmonchan, forming a funnel shape. She could make out the vague shape of the human-shaped, tan coloured Pokémon as it took on an odd stance and the Gym Leader tilted her head slightly. What was it—

"_Thunderpunch_, go!"

The Hitmonchan wound up its right arm and the boxing glove crackled with electricity. Before Clair could open her mouth to warn her Pokémon, it lunged out of its windy prison and a powerful fist drove into the underside of the sea serpent's broad jaw, sending it reeling backwards and into the wall of the surrounding pool with a pained roar.

'_Ouch.'_ Frowning slightly, the bluette recalled her Pokémon, not wanting it to take further damage and Faint. The frown deepened when her opponent snickered, that cocky grin back in place, and his Pokémon beckoned as though daring her to send out another challenger.

She'd crush their spirits easily.

"Yume, you're up." Clair had been trying to use her more frequently in something other than training battles. Despite lacking maturity, the Dragonair had a surprisingly powerful move set that made the Dragon user wonder just what her parents had been. Speaking of which, upon initial release, the Pokémon immediately rounded on its mistress, cooing and wending around her leg and the woman sighed. "Yume, now is _not _the time."

"Dra…" The Pokémon uncoiled and made for the center of the field where her opponent waited.

Joel snorted with laughter. "Lady, I think your Pokémon's a lover, not a fighter."

"You'll find that she makes quite a capable 'fighter'."

"Alright, suit yourself. Hitmonchan, _Ice Punch_!"

Somehow, Clair had seen that coming. "Yume, eight pattern followed by a _Dragon Rush._"

The name of the move triggered a memory of a grinning Cynthia and an immense flash of light, but she shook it off before the pang she knew would accompany any thought of her beautiful, roaming girlfriend could distract her from the battle.

Her opponent was fast, but Yume was faster: the Dragonair lurched forward, slithering cleanly out of the way of a sharp jab in a wide arc around the back of the Hitmonchan, then swiftly changing gears and rushing past it to place distance between herself and the other Pokémon in the vague approximation of the number '8'.

At the top of the numeral, Yume's lithe form became charged with viridian energy and she lunged at the Hitmonchan, smashing into its purple, tunic-like torso before it could manage to throw another punch.

"Hitmonchan!" Joel shouted.

The impact sent the Fighting-type flying backwards and it pressed its fists into the ground in order to slow its velocity, managing to stop just before falling off the edge of the platform and into the water. "Hit… mon…" the Pokémon panted, one eye screwed shut as it clutched its side.

"Finish it."

"Dra!"A ball of swirling orange energy danced at the tip of the Dragonair's horn.

"Hitmonchan, get up!"

But it was no use. The Pokémon could only Flinch as Yume pointed her horn directly in his direction—

"_Hyper Beam!"_

—and shot an intense beam of yellow-orange energy that struck the Hitmonchan dead-on and sent him smashing into the far wall with a sickening _'crack' _as the surface broke open and let rays of sun filter into the Gym.

'_Whoops…' _The Elder wouldn't be happy about that.

"Winner: Gym Leader Clair!" Minako cheered.

~O~

"Hey, sweetie, how was your day?"

"_I had a challenger today. They seem few and far in between for some reason."_

"Yeah… I've noticed that in my region as well. That's why I'm taking this trip while I can." She noticed the way Clair's eyebrows drew together minutely at the mention of travel and quickly said, "How badly did you beat the kid?"

The bluette's expression cleared. _"His Hitmonchan was strong, but Yume was stronger."_

"Oh, little Yume gets a go now?"

"_I don't really think you can call her 'little' anymore. She's been shedding her skin like crazy recently. In all my years training here at the Shrine, I've never seen a Dragonair grow so quickly. And she has an incredible move set. I'll have to show it to you when you get back."_

Cynthia smiled warmly, her heart filling with affection. "Yeah?"

"_Mhmm. I wasn't sure how she'd do in battle seeing as she evolved so suddenly without any sort of real training, but she's doing well. I don't think any of the Trainers around here are prepared to face her."_

There it was again: that spark—that indomitable spirit that the blonde had fallen so hard for. She crossed her legs, her body responding as it always did to the way those aquamarine orbs blazed. "I can't wait. I have to go now, though. Steven wants to do one more sweep of the main hall of the ruins to see if we missed anything early in the morning tomorrow. I'll be back soon."

"_Alright." _She hesitated and the Champion arched a questioning eyebrow. It wasn't like Clair to hesitate. _"I… Miss you."_

Affection gave way to an intense warmth that threatened to overwhelm the older woman. She didn't know what she would do without her Clair. "I love you."

The screen went black and the blonde sighed, slouching on her cot. It was less than comfortable, the tent was cramped, she hadn't showered in days, her back was sore, she desperately missed Clair… And now she was excited on top of it all.

Why was she here again?

* * *

"_Miss Cynthia, I'm sensing something." _He didn't really have to say anything—the appendages on the back of his head were standing on end and that was more than enough of an indication. Still, his tone was difficult to place.

"Is it good or bad?"

"_I… Cannot tell."_

Odd.

She carefully placed the ornate clay vase she had been examining back on its pedestal and turned to head down the stairs into the yawning darkness below. "Steven? I think we should—"

It was then that she realized that the torches that _should _have been lighting the narrow corridor had gone out and all was still. She took a step backwards and nearly screamed as she bumped into Raynor.

"_Sir Steven is not here."_

"Where did he go?"

The jackal-like Pokémon raised a glowing paw. _"I cannot sense him at all… It is as though he has vanished."_

Okay, this was getting creepy.

The woman reached out and felt her way along the wall for the torch that she knew was there, sighing in relief as Raynor set it ablaze. _"Perhaps we should not be here."_

"We can't just leave Steven."

That being said, Cynthia started forward, holding the torch in front of her to light the temple's stone innards. She almost tripped over something, but Raynor caught her arm.

"_Take care."_

"I'm fine. I—" The blonde frowned, her gaze on the ground. Was that… fog? Sure enough, tendrils of vapor were reaching across the ground like long, intangible fingertips. But there wasn't a source of water around and they were pretty far underground. '_How…?'_

She was so caught up in puzzling it out that she didn't see the shadow that bubbled around her feet, a single hand-shaped tendril rearing up to grab her ankle.

"_**Get out." **_A roar.

"_Miss Cynthia!" _The Lucario's eyes glowed blue and the Pokémon hidden in the shadows was grasped by a powerful telekinetic force that enveloped it in energy of the same colour—_Psychic_. A Dusclops was revealed, its sole red eye bouncing around in its socket the only thing the Champion saw as it was hurtled across the room. _"We leave. Now."_

The urgency in his voice spurred his Trainer into moving without question; together they turned and hurried back the way they had come, only to find that the staircase had disappeared.

"_**Get out." **_A howl.

The room was flooded with fog now and Cynthia released a whimper as the torch flickered wildly, then suddenly went out, plunging the pair into darkness. A moment later, the dark was interrupted by dozens of shifting red eyes and Raynor's eyes glowed intensely.

"_I want you to run. Do not look back."_

"Raynor—"

"_Miss Cynthia, _please._"_

There was an ominous rumbling and the ground beneath their feet shifted like a living creature and Cynthia lost her footing, tumbling to the hard surface and managing to scrape her palms as she caught herself.

"_**Who are you?" **_Those swirling eyes were closing in; Raynor's light had disappeared. _**"What is it that you seek?"**_

"Knowledge," she whispered, snapping her eyes shut. That was the point of her travels, wasn't it? To uncover rare and amazing Pokémon.

She had to stay calm. Losing it wouldn't do her any good. An image of Clair—brave, strong, measured Clair—flashed through her mind's eye and she immediately felt a little better. Enough to straighten and open her eyes to face the darkness.

"_**Interesting." **_The comment was made almost absent-mindedly. Something shiny revealed itself in the middle of the room—a mirror. _**"Here is the knowledge that you seek."**_

Cautiously, the woman stepped forward, gaze flicking from eye to eye. They were still for the moment, focusing on her with nerve-wracking intensity.

What could that _**voice**_ have meant?

She peered into the mirror and gasped. _'Clair?'_

Sure enough, the bluette was walking alongside a pretty brunette along a dirt path, both girls carrying a basket full of linens. They began to hang them out on the clothesline in the verdant garden that the Elder tended to in his free time, the brunette chatting animatedly about something while Clair listened, smiling slightly.

They were almost done with their chore when, without warning, the brunette's cheeks went red and she leaned in, stealing a quick kiss before gathering up her empty basket and darting off, leaving the bluette with a stunned expression in the middle of the garden.

Rage made Cynthia's blood boil and she balled her fists. How dare anyone touch what was hers?

But then she felt horrified—how could she claim ownership over Clair? The younger woman wasn't an object to be owned.

"Why did you show me this?"

"_**You wanted knowledge. This answers the question you so desperately want answered."**_

"And what would that question be?"

"_**Only you can answer that."**_

This wasn't making any sense at all… She couldn't think of any particularly pressing questions she had other than who in the world—or _what_—was speaking. "Who are you?"

"_**Leave here. There is no place for your kind in the Reverse World."**_

Before she could open her mouth to ask another question, a swirling vortex of energy enveloped her, sucking her out of the darkness and into the light.

* * *

"Cynthia? Answer me!"

The blonde stirred, her eyelids fluttering open as she registered the fact that she was being shaken. "Huh…?"

"Oh, thank goodness!" It was Steven. The normally cool, collected Trainer was pale, his expression distraught.

"Are you okay?"

"_Me_?" His bark of laughter stemmed more from disbelief than anything. "We found you unconscious on the floor inside the ruins and have been trying everything to get you to wake up for the past two hours and you're asking _me _if _I'm _okay?!"

Whoops… She started to sit up, but the silver-haired man rested a hand on her shoulder, restraining her. "Raynor said you would try to move and to stop you in any way possible." When the blonde opened her mouth to protest, he continued, "He also told me to ignore all protests because it was for your own good."

Ugh. "Where is Raynor?"

Steven pointed: in a corner of the cramped tent slouched the Aura Pokémon, his long pink tongue lolling out as he panted. _"You gave me quite a scare."_

The woman frowned. "You… You were actually there with me, weren't you?"

"_For a time. I was repelled by some powerful force."_

"It was like some epic battle of wills," the Hoenn Champion commented. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"_Whatever Pokémon is inhabiting these ruins does not want to be found."_

"In that room you were looking around… Did you see a mirror?"

"A mirror?" He looked thoughtful. "No. Not unless you count the mural in there. It depicts a mirror, and some sort of crude vortex."

A chill ran along Cynthia's spine. "I need to go home."

"So soon?" He was right to sound surprised—usually wild Ponyta couldn't drag her away from her work.

"We're playing with a power that is beyond our comprehension. It wouldn't be right to press onward… I promised Clair."

'_Clair…'_

_/ The bluette raised a hand to her lips, eyes wide as she watched the pretty brunette scurry away. /_

When she looked away, Steven cleared his throat. "We'll get you home soon, no worries. Just rest." He rested a hand on her shoulder then exited the tent.

"_Miss Cynthia?"_

"What?" She hadn't meant to snap.

Raynor's ears flicked backwards just a bit. _"What happened after I was expelled from your dream world? I am sensing turmoil."_

"I…"

_/ "Lighten up, Cynthia. Geez. It's just a bit of harmless flirting."_

"_I just feel as though we should have a certain level of respect for one another since this is a serious relationship."_

"_Darling, I respect the hell out of you." That impish pout and those emerald green orbs were the blonde's supreme weakness. "Don't be such a stick in the mud. I mean people aren't property. What gives you the right to hog me to yourself?"_

_She was just being silly. "Sorry…"_

"_No big. Can we go get lunch? I'm starved."/_

Maybe Helene had been right—she was just being too old-fashioned. What reason did she have to get jealous that someone else had interest in Clair?

None at all.

"_Miss Cynthia?" _Raynor frowned. _"You seem more distracted than usual. Please tell me what happened."_

The blonde forced a smile. "It was nothing, Raynor. I'm just being silly."

So why did it feel like the end of the world as she knew it?

x.x.x

"Hey."

"Hey… You were supposed to call."

"Sorry."

Clair blinked, taken aback by the insincere flatness of the blonde's tone. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine. I'm headed home now."

There was that flock of Butterfree. "Will I see you soon?"

Hesitation. "I'll probably be busy for a little while."

"Oh…"

"Mhmm."

"… Are you certain everything is okay? You seem… Different."

"Did anything happen today? Anything worth mentioning?"

That was an odd question. "Um… Not that I can recall. Why?"

There was a soft sound—a… sob?—but before the bluette could ask about it, the Champion said, "I'm pretty worn out, Clair. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Then the line went dead. No goodbye, no warning—nothing.

The Dragon user frowned, dropping her Pokégear onto her comforter. What had that been about? Her heart was racing as though she had just run a great distance and she knew it was because something was _clearly _bothering the blonde who refused to talk to her about it. Worry made her gnaw on her bottom lip and she crossed her legs, heeding Raynor's warning and attempting to keep in control of her negative emotions.

Without Cynthia there, it felt like a losing battle.

Was it weird that the blonde Champion's troubles felt like her own? Was it weird that she wanted to Fly over there and do whatever it took to put a smile on that beautiful face?

… Was it weird that Clair had begun to look forward to hearing "I love you"?

**-End Chapter-**


	11. Loving the Champion

**-Loving the Champion-**

Rivalry was not something new to Cynthia. As Champion of the Sinnoh region, she had had her fair share of battles, both with Pokémon and with herself when it came to defeating other people and proving that she was worthy of her title.

This feeling—this _jealousy_—was something different entirely: the heart pounding thrill she normally got from facing down a challenger had given way to a sick, nauseating sensation in the pit of her stomach and her blood chilled rather than boiled.

It was an unpleasant feeling and she hated that she felt it.

She knew it was wrong of her to hold on to the Dragon user so selfishly, but she couldn't help it. The intensely competitive nature that she kept buried deep down reared its head when even the thought of someone touching her Clair occurred.

_That _was why she had to stay away from the bluette. No sense in dragging the younger woman into the ugliness and doubts that plagued her.

~O~

Perhaps Clair was just being silly, but it felt as though Cynthia was avoiding her.

Such a thing would be easy given that they lived entire regions away, but the blonde had managed to make herself scarce even when it came to phone calls or specific dates that the two had set up for visits.

The Pokémon in the Dragon Shrine were restless and aggressive, reflecting the change in the Gym Leader's aura as a result of recent events—to the point that the Elder had forbidden the shrine maidens from entering unless they were accompanied by himself, Clair, or Lance, who had returned a few nights before.

Speaking of, the red-haired Dragon master was leaning against a pillar in the center of the garden, his eyes closed as he dozed in the sun.

Clair envied him for being so relaxed. It felt as though nothing she did could remove the tenseness that afflicted her muscles and her mood had suffered as a result.

A detail that was not lost upon the Champion as he sat up at her approach, calling, "Cousin, your face will freeze like that!"

She grunted, but did not reply, plopping down next to the male and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Where's Yume? Normally, you two are inseparable."

That too had changed. It appeared the young Dragon type couldn't abide by the dark cloud that loomed over her mistress and she had taken up residence in the koi pond in the garden. She poked her snout out at the sound of her name and cooed a greeting to Lance; liquid purple eyes focused on the bluette for a moment, something akin to fear in them, before she re-submerged herself.

"Something's been bothering you lately, Clair. You're even quieter than usual and even your Pokémon are acting strangely. Talk to me."

A long-suffered sigh escaped the young woman. "It's Cynthia. I feel as though she's avoiding me and I can't figure out why she would do such a thing."

"She's a busy woman."

"I know that."

It was brief, but he saw the hurt that flashed across the Dragon user's pretty face. "Have you tried talking to her about it?"

"I would if I could manage to capture her attention for more than a few minutes at a time," she sighed.

"Did you two have a fight or something?"

"No. In fact, everything was perfect until she left for Mt. Coronet. I feel like something happened there, but she won't talk to me about it, which isn't like her."

That was very true. The blonde loved sharing stories of her travels with anyone who cared to listen, her enthusiasm for travel and gathering information shining in her eyes as she spoke. It was odd that she hadn't spoken a word of her latest expedition—especially considering how excited Clair had told him the Champion was at the very prospect of leaving.

Perhaps this was more serious than he had originally thought.

Just then, the shoji that allowed one to enter the garden from the dining room slid open and Minako poked her head out. She smiled shyly upon seeing Clair. "Sir, the Elder is asking for you."

"Ah. I'll be right there." He waited until the door had slid shut before remarking, "She seems to be a big fan of yours."

"Mm? Yes, it's rather discomfiting at times."

"How does Cynthia feel about that?"

"What do you mean?"

The red-head shrugged. "Well, you two are together now and I doubt she'd like sharing your attention."

"Sh-'sharing'?! Just what do you take me for?" Her cheeks heated and she scowled. "Minako's crush on me has no effect on my relationship with Cynthia—I don't see her that way." A memory reared its head and the young woman scoffed. "It's silly, but she kissed me the other day. No one has ever glanced my way before, but the moment Cynthia does, it feels as though the world is following suit. Yesterday some love struck teenager brought me flowers. It was sweet, but completely unnecessary."

Lance made a thoughtful sound. "Does Cynthia know about her?"

"Minako? No… Why would she?"

He blinked. "But you just told me that the two of you kissed."

"_She _kissed _me._ I didn't encourage the action in any way."

The bluette wasn't quite sure why he was looking at her like that. "Clair, you should really come clean with that sort of things. What if she somehow found out? Even if it meant nothing to you, she wouldn't know that and she could take it the wrong way."

That… made sense. In fact, there were a lot of ways the little mishap the other day could have been taken the wrong way.

The question was, if that was what was troubling the Champion, how had Cynthia even known about it?

* * *

Clair thought she had heard someone whisper her name, but that was impossible. She was alone on the roof of the Dragon User Shrine, sitting in a pool of silvery moonlight that filtered through a huge crack in the rock surface of the cave ceiling.

She was at peace for the moment, completely centered for the first time in days.

There was a creak from the wooden deck below and she heard a familiar voice call, "What are you doing down here so late?"

Minako. The bluette frowned. "I could ask you the same question. The Elder forbade you and the others from coming down here alone."

"I'm not alone, am I? You're here." She sounded amused. "May I come up?"

The ladder was already shifting under her weight before Clair even had the chance to give her approval. Soon, she was being joined by the chipper brunette who smiled and drew her bathrobe closer to her.

"Do you often roam at night?"

"No. I heard you moving around restlessly all night and when you left, I followed you," she admitted. "Is something troubling you?"

Clair had forgotten that Minako's room was across from hers. All of the shrine maidens and the Gym Leader slept in rooms on the second floor while Lance and the Elder—the only males in the building—shared a room on the first. "Mm…"

"You can talk to me, you know." She rested a hand over one of the hands Clair was using to prop herself up with and the Gym Leader flinched as though she had been struck. "Oh… I'm sorry."

She couldn't take the guilt those wide brown eyes brought. "It's not you. I'm… In love… With someone else." As the statement came out, she realized it was true.

She was in love with Cynthia.

There it was—that sound again. As though someone was whispering something incomprehensible. The only one around was Minako, however, and her lips hadn't moved.

The Gym Leader quickly excused herself and headed back to her room, the whispering growing louder with every step. By the time she had closed her door behind her and turned the lock, the incomprehensible noises had abruptly stopped.

Then, _"Can you hear me, Miss Clair?"_

"… Raynor?" She sat down on her bed, dumbfounded. It had to be. But how was he—

"_I apologize if I frightened you. You cannot speak aloud when we are apart like this; please think what you want to say and direct your thoughts towards me as you would words. I will hear them."_

Clair frowned slightly in concentration. The concept was easy enough, but the execution was odd. How did one direct their thoughts, exactly? _"Like… This?" _

"_Yes! Excellent."_

The Trainer felt a sudden, vague approval and was confused for a moment until she realized that she could actually sense the Pokémon's emotions through the link they shared. It was as though they were sitting in a vast room together, their voices echoing endlessly within its white walls.

"_Where are you?"_

"_The Sinnoh League headquarters."_

That was quite some distance. _"How are you speaking to me right now? I didn't know your telepathy could reach so far."_

"_Normally it cannot. You are an aura user, however, and that allows for certain exceptions." _A niggling feeling of unease leaked through their link and Clair found herself fidgeting restlessly. _"Miss Cynthia has been… Troubled as of late."_

So it wasn't just her. _"Do you know what's wrong? Is it me—did I do something?"_

"_No. I have an inkling of the true problem here, but I cannot be sure. It stems from her past and was recently stirred up by our exploration of the ruins under Mt Coronet. While we were there, Miss Cynthia was contacted by an extremely powerful presence. She was lost in a trance for several hours that I could not break her from, try as I might." _She felt a surge of irritation that mingled with the flood of concern and confusion that had been active throughout his recounting. _"I was able to remain in her mind and see what she was seeing for a short period of time… And I know enough to confidently say that the vision Miss Cynthia experienced was focused on you."_

"Me?_" _Clair repeated aloud, confused. After sitting in silence for so long, her voice seemed unnaturally loud and she had to remind herself to think rather than speak. _"Why me?"_

"_The answer could be a variety of reasons. It is my belief that the being in question wanted to show Miss Cynthia something that would have the greatest effect on her."_

The statement warmed the bluette's heart despite herself and she clutched absentmindedly at her bedspread. _"And you don't know what this presence was?"_

"_No…" _She didn't need to be able to sense his emotions to tell that that fact troubled the Pokémon. _"Whatever it was, it was unlike anything I have ever encountered before. It did not appear to harbor any ill will, fortunately. It merely wished to drive off intruders."_

Somehow, the thought of some powerful, unknown force poking around in Cynthia's head wasn't comforting—malicious or not. She had to wonder, though… What had the Champion been shown that had rattled her so badly?

"_Miss Clair, do you recall the story I promised at a later time?" _Raynor asked suddenly.

"_Yes." _All too well. She was eager to learn anything about the Cynthia's past that would help her understand the blonde better.

"_I believe that now is the time. Perhaps the knowledge will help you to comfort Miss Cynthia. She has not seemed very happy of late."_

"_Neither have I," _Clair admitted, sighing aloud.

"_If you would close your eyes, Miss Clair, I can share directly the past events as I recall them. Just relax and clear your thoughts as you do when you meditate._

After a brief hesitation, the Dragon user breathed in slowly through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her thighs. She cast away any doubts or lingering questions she had and closed her eyes.

"_I'm ready."_

A flood of colours washed through her mind's eye, a high speed flood that was coupled with discordant sounds that left the young woman feeling a little overwhelmed. Then, the colours swirled and coalesced into images, the sound gaining clarity and forming words…

_/ "Hey, mutt, is Cynthia around?" A pretty young woman with bright hazel eyes asked, her lips twisted into a smirk, hand on her hip. A green beret sat atop curly raven tresses and she wore dark jeans and a crème-coloured, long-sleeved blouse made of a sheer fabric. _

_Helene._

_His hackles rose slightly, but the Lucario pointed wordlessly in the direction of his mistress's room. There was something strange about this girl's aura… Something cruel and cunning._

_As she sauntered off in the indicated direction, Raynor trailed behind her, the velvet pads of his paws making no sound on the tiled floor. He didn't enter the room with her for he recognized that musky scent. Sure enough, quiet moans drifted out of the room and he frowned, disapproval flooding him._

_His mistress could do so much better. /_

Clair opened her eyes. She knew what the two had been doing and it made her uncomfortable… And upset. To think of Cynthia with anyone else… _"Do you need to show me all of this?"_

"_I cannot pick and choose. You see my memories as I experienced them."_

With a sigh, the Trainer closed her eyes again.

_/_ _'CRACK'! Voices—one calm and collected, the other loud and emotional._

'_Thud.' _

_Raynor closed his eyes and the world became a mass of multicoloured splotches—auras—separated by expanses of white. All living things have an aura, no matter how small. _

_He zeroed-in on two auras in particular: one was the same colour as rust, jagged around the edges and pulsating. The other was a pale gray and it rippled gently the way a pond did when you dropped a stone into its waters._

_Cynthia._

_The ripples grew more tumultuous as the voice grew even louder:_

"_You're fucking kidding me, right?"_

"_Helene, please—"_

"_Who're you going to trust, me or that stupid mutt?"_

"_Raynor isn't some mindless animal."_

_At that sharp tone, the brunette's suddenly became sweet. "Sorry. It's just so upsetting to think that he'd say something like that. We're so good together."_

"_Are we?" It was said so quietly that only the Pokémon's sharp ears caught it and he shifted, his mistress's bleak, vacant tone making his lips draw back to reveal pointed fangs._

_He did not like this woman. He did not like her one bit. /_

And neither did Clair. From the brief glimpses she had seen, this 'Helene' was bad news.

_/ "You're such a freak." Cold laughter. "But, hey, it takes all kinds, right?"_

_Raynor took a step forward. "Enough."_

"_What're you going to do, mutt?"_

"_Leave her, Raynor," Cynthia mumbled. Her eyes were red and he could smell the salt of the tears that had all but run out. _

"_You heard her." The brunette smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Cynth, we'll be late for dinner if you don't hurry it up."_

"_Coming…" /_

It was almost physically painful to see such a proud, confident young woman so broken down and dejected. The memory troubled Raynor as well and she felt regret trickle through their mental link.

"_I should have done more."_

"_There was no way you could have. Cynthia seemed to be willing to just… Take it. She allowed herself to be mistreated."_

"_The human heart is a curious thing."_

It really was.

_/ She was crying. Again. He could hear her muffled sobs from the hall. _

_Upon his gentle knock, he heard the shuffling of the blonde attempting to pull herself together._

"_What is it?"_

_The Pokémon pushed the door open, his hackles stirring. He could smell Helene—she had been here recently. "I worry about you, Miss Cynthia."_

"_I'm fine." She rubbed her eyes, forced a smile. "Really."_

"_You know that woman is no good for you. Why do you insist on keeping her company?"_

_The Champion slumped, tears welling up in steel-coloured orbs and he flinched. He hadn't meant to upset her further. _

"_Who else is there, Raynor? She's right… I'm a freak."/_

"'_A freak'? For what—loving someone else?" _Clair felt rage surge through her, hot and violent. There were pinpricks of pain in her palms and she realized that she had been clenching her fists so tightly that she had left little crescent marks.

"_For loving the wrong person, I suppose."_

_/ "Don't do this, babe." The brunette was trying very hard to look sincere, but the emotion didn't quite reach her eyes. "You know I say shit when I get upset. I didn't mean it."_

_Cynthia shook her head—slowly at first, then with more vigor. "No."_

_She had had enough._

_Raynor closed his eyes, pleased by the gentle ripples in her aura. His mistress would be just fine._

"_Don't be such a frigid bitch," Helene complained, tossing dark hair out of her face. "You know I love you."_

_The blonde flinched. "No… I don't."_

"_I do."_

"_You have a strange way of showing it," Raynor growled. He received a thankful look and nodded. "Please leave immediately. You are not welcome here."_

"_We built a life here. No way in hell I'm just leaving like that."_

"_No, _I _did. It was I who paid for everything, I who…" A sob choked her and a sad crooning sound built up in the jackal-like Pokémon's throat in response. "I who wanted to be with you. Not the other way around."_

"_So that's it then?"_

"_Yes." Cynthia rose and strode past the woman that she had given her all to, exhaustion in the set of her shoulders. "Please go, Helene. You've done enough."_

_The brunette grabbed her wrist none-too-gently. "Just hold on a minute."_

_The Champion's aura spiked erratically and Raynor advanced on the source of her unease, paws glowing— /_

Clair winced as pain lanced through her skull and she heard Raynor sigh. There were remnants of anger, bitterness, and lingering resentment drifting across their mental link.

"_I apologize. That memory… Is not a pleasant one."_

"_What happened?" _She had been holding her breath, she realized.

"_That was the last time we saw Miss Helene. I bodily removed her from Miss Cynthia's household and she relocated shortly thereafter. In fact, that was the time her wanderlust hit its peak and she now avoids her hometown like a plague."_

"_I can see why."_

"_Indeed. I must go now, Miss Clair. Please… Do not give up on Miss Cynthia. It seems that you are the only one with the power to make her truly happy."_

"_I'll try my best," _she promised.

When his presence faded from her mind, the Dragon user collapsed onto her bad, suddenly very tired. "Cynthia…" she murmured, eyelids fluttering. "Please don't shut me out."

The last word was but a breath as she fell asleep.

~O~

"What is it, Raynor?"

The jackal-like Pokémon had been still as a statue for the past hour or so, the appendages at the back of his head standing on end. His eyes flicked to her, the red irises glowing silver._ "Ah… It's nothing."_

She arched an eyebrow at that very obvious untruth. It wasn't like him to hide something from her.

The blonde let it slide, however, saying, "I need your help with something."

"Of course."

As his mistress turned to lead him into the other room, the aura Pokémon closed his eyes, seeking out her tremulous aura and encircling it with his own.

It was only a quick fix, but it would calm her for the time being.

He just hoped that Clair would be able to undo the damage that he could not.

**-End Chapter-**


	12. Worrying the Champion

**-Worrying the Champion-**

The very next morning, Clair borrowed Lance's Aerodactyl and headed for Olivine City in order to visit Jasmine, a fellow Gym Leader and close friend of hers. She couldn't tell the younger woman about Cynthia, of course, but she _could _ask hypotheticals.

Jasmine had a knack for advice-giving—despite her youthfulness.

As it turned out, the brunette was in the Shining Lighthouse, caring for the odd, bipedal yellow and black Pokémon that supplied the intense illumination that provided safe passage for sailors at night.

"C'mon, Amphy," the slender girl coaxed, prodding the stubborn Ampharos gently.

It shook its narrow head, electricity fizzling weakly in the red orb at the tip of its tail. "Ampharos!"

Jasmine sighed and smiled apologetically at her colleague. "I'm so sorry, Clair. You came all this way and—"

"Nonsense," the Dragon user said dismissively. "Amphy's sick again?"

"Yes… Normally, I get his medicine from the clinic in Cianwood, but I haven't gotten a chance to head over there; ever since the S.S. Aqua has been in operation, there's been a flood of trainers."

Cianwood was just across the ocean and it would be nice for her Pokémon to get some fresh air and exercise… "I'll get it for you."

She perked up, hazel eyes sparkling. "You will? Thank you, Clair! You're wonderful."

The bluette headed out immediately, _Surf_ingsouth of Olivine City atop Undine's head, clutching to the blue spine that jutted out of her brow while the rest of her Pokémon darted about in the vicinity.

"Dragonaire!"

Clair chuckled, pushing her hair from her face. "Well, Celeste, you should have stayed home then."

"Dra."

"Yume, be nice."

"_Draaaaaa_!"

Before she could respond to the youngest of her Pokémon, Naomi made an odd keening sound from somewhere in the water below her and a shudder ran the length of the great body beneath her feet.

"What is it?"

"Gyaaaa…"

The Trainer's eyebrows drew together and she directed her attention to the southeast: there were dark clouds gathering over the jagged outline of a small island.

A chill went down her spine, a feeling of foreboding that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"I think we should stay clear of the Whirl Islands," the young woman murmured and the Gyarados roared her agreement.

That was easier said than done, however, because the moment Undine got closer to the fearsome white-capped peaks that were produced by the cluster of whirlpools from which the islands had gotten their name, a powerful current caught the Pokémon's serpentine body and began pulling her slowly but surely in.

"Undine, we need to get out of here," Clair commanded, recalling her other Pokémon. A light drizzle had started and she had to shield her eyes with her hand to keep the water out. "You can do it!"

The Gyarados couldn't, however—the current was too strong. Though there hadn't been a single raincloud in the sky, the heavens suddenly burst open, releasing light and sound and rain upon the Trainer and her partner. All the young woman could do was hold tight to the giant Pokémon's facial ridge, her slim form receiving a beating from the waves that were kicked up by the powerful gusts of wind that howled over the ocean's surface.

She could only hold on for so long and, as her grip began to weakened, Clair caught sight of a gargantuan shadow with glowing red eyes. It let out a harsh sound and the rainfall increased, pelting the bluette like many little stones; her tired fingers gave out just then and she fell from Undine's back, drawing a concerned sound from the water dragon, who could only thrash futilely in an attempt to reach her mistress.

The shape loomed, a flash crimson followed by blinding whiteness briefly illuminating a massive silver wingspan—

'_Mew… What is that thing?'_

It was the last thought she had before the water closed over her head.

x-x-x

A shrill ringing sound awoke Cynthia from her catnap and she sat bolt upright, her heart racing as she fumbled for the button to silence the video phone sitting on the desk before her. It was located behind a wall of photos of previous Champions and their Pokémon teams; she had wandered into the Hall of Fame with the intention of documenting promising young Trainer's, but her recent insomnia had taken its toll on her and she had dozed off.

It took her sleep-addled brain a moment to realize that this was her private line. There were two people who knew this number and neither would call unless something terrible had happened—

"Hello?"

The monitor flickered for a brief moment before powering on completely to reveal the carmine-haired Champion from Johto, his face pale and drawn. He didn't greet her right away, his eyes roaming as though he was looking for something. "Clair's not with you is she?"

There was hope in his tone… Why was that?

"No, she isn't." He swiped his hand over his face, swearing quietly, and the blonde's eyes widened. She had never heard the polite, well-raised Trainer use profanity—ever. If her heart hadn't been racing before, it certainly was now. "Why? What happened?"

"Clair went to Olivine a couple of days ago to visit a friend." There was a twinge of jealousy at that—the bluette hadn't come to see _her_—but it was quickly drowned out by concern. "Jasmine—that's the friend—called me a few minutes ago and told me that Clair had left for Cianwood on her Gyarados in order to pick up some medicine for the Pokémon powering the lighthouse that same day and she hasn't heard from her since."

"…"

"Cynthia?" He sounded wary, the utterly blank expression she now wore unsettling him. He hadn't known what to expect when he had called her… Certainly not this icy calm.

"I'm coming to Johto."

* * *

"What do you mean you can't leave immediately?" Cynthia demanded, her voice becoming more level rather than raising with her ire.

Somehow, the former was even more intimidating than the latter.

"I'm sorry, Miss Champion, but the S.S Anne is scheduled to leave at the same time every day. We can't just disembark—we might leave behind passengers!"

"I'll reimburse every single one of them," the blonde said impatiently. I need you to get me to Olivine as soon as possible."

"T-that's ludicrous! The S.S Anne has over 200 passengers, each paying—"

"I. Don't. Care." Steel-coloured eyes flashed—a warning. "We leave now, captain."

In the end, he simply couldn't refuse her.

Naturally, word got out that the Sinnoh League Champion was hell-bent on seeing _someone _in the Johto Region and rumors started circulating. By the time the S.S Anne docked in Olivine, there was a crowd of fans and press milling about the port, awaiting the blonde Trainer's arrival.

"Not this again," she mumbled, stepping off the ship and into a maelstrom of questions—ranging from the identity of the person it was so important for her to see to speculation about her latest excavation—and camera flashes. "Raynor."

"_Right away." _His eyes glowed silver and a harmless, invisible sphere of aura expanded suddenly around his body; the resulting shockwave rustled papers, dislodged hats, and forced the gathered throng to take a step or two backwards.

In all of the hubbub, no one noticed Cynthia release a white, airplane-shaped Pokémon from its Poké Ball until it was too late and she was hopping onto its back with Raynor and taking to the skies.

She didn't head for Blackthorn City right away—instead, she made a beeline for the Olivine City Gym to speak with that "friend" of Clair's.

* * *

Jasmine was in the middle of a battle when the double doors slammed open, an intimidating silhouette standing in the resulting square sunlight. The doors shut and the lights faded to reveal an impressive blonde woman garbed in black .

"You were the last person to see Clair. I need you to tell me everything that happened while she was with you—every little detail.

The brunette's jaw dropped a little, but before she could say anything to her unexpected visitor, her Steelix—a massive Pokémon with a serpentine body composed of steel-plated boulders—smashed skull-first into the enemy Trainer's Magmar, knocking it across the field.

"Winner: Gym Leader Jasmine!" the battle judge announced, waving a green flag.

Jasmine recalled her Pokémon and headed over to the imposing blonde woman, instinctively cowering a bit under the intense gray gaze. "I'm sorry, you are?"

"Cynthia."

Realization dawned on her face and her cheeks went red. "I-I'm sorry, ma'am, I should have recognized you. Clair's told me how close you two have gotten."

The woman faltered. "She… Did?"

"Yeah! It's great that she has a friend like you."

'_Friend_'—why did that make her heart throb? "Right… Just tell me what I want to know." The last part came out more sharply than she had intended.

"Do you mind if we walk and talk? I need to go to the lighthouse."

Cynthia flew out of Olivine an hour or so later, bound for Cianwood. It was a tiny coastal town, however, so there weren't many people to question and the few she didtalk to hadn't seen any sign of the Blessed User of Dragon Pokémon.

In the end, the blonde headed for Blackthorn; she hated that she was turning up at Lance's empty-handed, but there was really nothing else she could do at this point. This entire situation was frustrating—not to mention downright depressing.

Together the Champions could conduct a search for the bluette—first in the major cities and then…

_/ As the young women were exiting the lighthouse, a grizzled old sailor approached Cynthia. "I couldn't help but overhear you two as you were passing by earlier. The lass you're seeking… She didn't Surf to Cianwood two days ago, did she?"_

_A chill made the hairs on the back of the blonde's neck stand on end. Jasmine had said that Clair had left on her Gyarados, hadn't she? "She did. Why?"_

_The man shook his head and the look on his weathered face was less than comforting. "Bad storm that day. The ocean was in an uproar over something."/_

She didn't even want to consider the possibilities that information presented.

* * *

A week had passed…

A week of crying.

A week of solitude.

A week of drawn curtains and locked doors.

A week of fading hope.

When, at last, the room to Cynthia's room opened, Raynor was beside himself. His tail actually wagged as he sprang to his feet, rushing to his mistress's side.

"_Miss Cynthia, I—_"

She silenced him with a wave of her hand, her face unnaturally pale and her eyes red-rimmed. Her hair lacked the healthy bounce it normally possessed and her impeccable outfit was rumpled and creased. "The Hall of Origin."

"_Pardon?"_

"It is said that you can summon Arceus using the Azure Flute in the Hall of Origin."

"_Summon Arceus? For what purpose?"_

"That dream Clair had… I know she told you about it."

He hesitated. _"She did not tell me so much as I was accidentally shown."_

The Trainer scrubbed a hand over her face tiredly. "Do you think…" She sniffled, her eyes becoming glossy. "Do you think that her dream could come true? That the Legendaries could grant a wish…"

"_From what I saw, Miss Cynthia, the price you pay for said wish is—"_

"I don't care." There was no fire in her tone, just flat despair and desolation. "I don't care," she repeated, more to herself than anything. "I just want Clair back."

"… _If that is your desire,"_ the Pokémon responded carefully.

"It is. Bring me the Azure Flute. I'm going to my study to figure out what I need to do."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered the promise she had made, but she banished the thought, straightening her spine and heading for the bathroom.

She needed to clean herself up. Once she felt more human, she would do whatever it took to see Clair again.

**-End Chapter-**

Just a little update to get the action started. I'm currently working on another Pokémon fic—this one very different from any of my other work (Pokémon or otherwise.) If you're interested, it's called _Strays _and you can find it on my profile :3

Until next time!


	13. Rescuing the Champion

I beefed the Legendaries up. It's boring if they're only 10 feet tall o-o This chapter's a little longer than usual since there's only one left :D

Let's rock.

**-Rescuing the Champion-**

It was time. Cynthia knew what she had to do and she knew the consequences of her actions… But, at this point, none of it mattered.

Clair was the only thing she cared about at the current moment.

"_Are you certain about this?" _Raynor questioned, his fur bristling anxiously.

The pair were standing outside of the ruins that they had fled from several days before, the Champion garbed in a white sundress rather than her usual black attire, her long hair swept up into a ponytail.

"Yes." The blonde straightened her spine, her heart hammering against the inside of her chest. She could do this.

She had to.

As she descended the narrow staircase, she noticed a dozen glowing eyes waiting to greet her and her heart sped up a bit more, her Pokémon pressing closer to her side when he sensed her unease. _"I will protect you."_

"I know."

The moment she stepped into the room, the murals on the walls lit up, glowing faintly with an otherworldly energy and there was a rumbling sound—as though two boulders were moving past each other.

"_**You have returned here, human."**_

She started, both the volume of the voice and its immense presence catching her off-guard. "I have."

"_**What is it that you seek this time?"**_

"Knowledge."

~o~

Somewhere about thirty miles off the coast of the chain of land masses known as the Sevii Islands was an island that hadn't seen a human visitor in over a century.

Until now, that is.

A stand of tropical trees grew just out of reach of the tide, their broad, fan-like leaves whispering to each other as a result of a cool breeze; curled at their roots was the slim form of a blue-haired trainer who hadn't moved for quite some time since washing up there. Her side rose and fell with each slow, measured breath, indicating that she was indeed alive.

Something moved within the thick jungle of trees beginning a few paces away from her—something large enough to make even the tallest tree quiver like a sapling.

Something moving _towards_ the unconscious trainer.

Clair stirred as the ground beneath her shifted, but didn't awaken, seemingly unaware of the giant shadow that loomed over her much smaller form.

"_**Is that your human?"**_

The Pokémon nodded, its broad snout wrinkled with concern.

"_**She will live."**_

A relieved sigh left the gentle giant and it fell gracelessly into a seated position, the impact of its landing serving to rather rudely jerk the Dragon user from her slumber.

"Where…?" She caught sight of her companion and yelped, scrambling backwards until her back met the rough bark of the tree behind her.

"_**Fear not. The little one has been by your side the entire time you slept," **_a deep, rich voice said from all directions at once.

"Draa!" From its pouch, the Pokémon procured a brightly coloured fruit, offering it with a decidedly pleased expression.

"_**Well, perhaps not the **_**entire **_**time." **_Now, it sounded amused.

Something clicked—a spark of recognition. "Yu.. me?"

"Dragonite!"

"But how…"

How was it possible that the Pokémon had evolved already—?

_/ The shape loomed, a flash crimson followed by blinding whiteness briefly illuminating a massive silver wingspan—_ /

Wait… That light… Now she remembered.

_/ The bluette gasped one last lung-full of air just before she went under, screwing her eyes shut as a flash of crimson near her side resulted from the breaking of one of the Poké Balls at her hip._

_She felt a slim form nudge her but it was no use—Yume was just too small and the young woman continued to sink. /_

Apparently, the Pokémon had rectified that.

"_**Would you happen to be the human known as 'Clair'?"**_

The bluette started. "Y-yes. How did you…?"

There was a bark of laughter that made the ground beneath her shift. _**"Astonishing. You are completely unaware of the trouble you are causing."**_

"_**Humans **_**are**_** a rather stupid race," **_another voice commented, this one raspy.

"_**Hold your tongue," **_a third voice snapped, this one smooth as silk. To the bluette, it said, _**"Your mate is toying with powers beyond her comprehension, girl, and the cosmos is astir as a result."**_

'_Mate…?' _"Cynthia!" Clair gasped. "Where is she?"

"_**The one you call 'Cynthia' has entered the Hall of Origin. She seeks Lord Arceus."**_

"_**What would a **_**human**_** want with the Creator?" the second voice scoffed.**_

"_**It matters not. We must stop her foolishness before it leads to disaster. Lord Lugia is displeased with the disturbance of his slumber."**_

"_**And you believe Lord Ho-Oh is any happier?" the third voice queried. "The sky over the Brass Tower has not darkened in days."**_

Clair shifted closer to her Pokémon, an anxious feeling making her heart hammer away at her rib cage. Ho-Oh and Lugia… Those were the names of Legendary Pokémon—two great bird-like creatures that ruled the sky and sea. That meant the speakers had to be—

"_**Suicune, you are the swiftest of the Runners. You should take the child to stop her mate."**_

"_**I cannot leave this place, Entei. You know this. Besides, I believe Raikou is swifter still."**_

"_**I refuse to assist her kind."**_

Entei heaved a mighty sigh. _**"Then I shall."**_

The air a few yards away from where Clair was sitting shimmered like a mirage and, suddenly, an impressive brown Pokémon appeared. It was mastiff-like in build—stocky and lean—an odd golden headpiece jutting from its brow and a red faceplate from its cheeks; a fluffy white plume of fur trailed behind it from between spiked gray plates, both serving to resemble a smoking crater.

Entei, the fire type from the Legendary trio known simply as "Runners"—lightning fast Pokémon that travelled incredible distances in mere moments.

"_**Come, child." **_The Pokémon lowered itself onto its haunches, bright amber eyes burning with an inner fire. _**"We must leave at once and settle this discord."**_

"_**Take care, brother," **_Suicune chided as Clair timidly clambered onto the Legendary's back. Its fur was warm—as though it had been lying out in the sun—and she could feel the raw power coiled in sleek muscle ._** "The other Legendaries awaken with Lord Arceus. There is no telling what perils will arise."**_

"_**I say we leave the humans to fix their own problems," **_Raikou snorted. _**"What does it matter to us?"**_

"_**Other Pokémon are not as fortunate as we Legendaries," **_Entei rumbled. _**"Are you really so selfish?"**_

Silence greeted his remark and the Dragon-type user got the feeling that the other Pokémon had been properly chastised.

"_**Swift passage," **_Suicune bade.

The Volcano Pokémon nodded. _**"Hold tight, child." **_He turned his head towards Yume. _**"You are certain you are able to keep up, little one?"**_

"Dra."

"_**We shall see."**_

Without any further warning, Clair's world became a blur of colour and the sound of rushing wind.

* * *

Travelling astride a Runner was… indescribable and, if she had been able to live such a life of high-speed freedom, she would in a heartbeat.

Her mount seemed to be in high spirits, a rich laugh leaving him as his velvet-padded feet pounded against the loamy earth. _**"Come, little one, surely you can do better than that?"**_

A beige object blurred by and the Blessed User of Dragon-types heard a roar echo across the mountain tops that loomed on every side—Yume.

"Where are you taking me?" She had to yell to hear herself above the roar of the wind, but Entei didn't seem to have any such trouble.

"_**To the Hall of Origin—the birthplace of all things. The Wish Granter and the Time Traveler slumber there when they are not roaming the world."**_

"'Wish Granter'? 'Time Traveler'?"

"_**We Legendaries are classified by what we do best. My brothers and I are known as the Runners. Lord Lugia and Lord Ho-Oh are known as the Celestials. Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos are the Elements, Celebi is the Time Traveler, and Jirachi is the Wish Granter."**_

"What about Palkia, Dialga, and Arceus?"

"_**Arceus is known as the Original One. Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina are the Creators."**_

"Giratina?"

"_**Keeper of the Hall."**_

There was a hiss as the terrain became aqueous and the Volcano Pokémon's steps caused the water to evaporate on contact.

"W-what do I do once we get there?"

"_**That is entirely up to you, child."**_

Clair frowned thoughtfully, crouching lower to her mount. What exactly _could _she do but try and stop her girlfriend? They were facing powers beyond their comprehension here.

* * *

The bluette wasn't sure when the shift had happened, but suddenly, they were standing in a white room surrounded on either side by pillars of white marble, Yume appearing next to them moments later—it seemed she had lost their little race.

The Volcano Pokémon crouched low to the ground and Clair took the motion as her cue to dismount. As she did so, the Runner released an earthshaking bark and the air around them wavered like the surface of a pond when you dropped a stone into it.

"_**I can accompany you no further."**_

Two vast double doors blinked into existence—as though the Pokémon had spoken some secret phrase—and, when they parted to allow the blinding brilliance within to shine out, Entei disappeared, leaving nothing but a scorch mark and the faint smell of ash.

"Dra?"

Clair shook her head in response to her Pokémon's inquiry, cautiously heading towards the newly created entrance. Inside, there was more white, spreading endlessly in every direction, the only thing interrupting the pristine environment being a stone slab engraved with the ancient Unknown language. The bluette approached it and, after a moment's hesitation, placed her hand on its surface; it was cold to the touch and the writing lit up with an other-worldly light.

"_**Another visitor?" **_a disembodied voice demanded. _**"What is it with your race and meddling in the affairs of others?"**_

"Another"—so Cynthia _had _been here.

"Do you know where the other human went?"

There was a pause. _**"Cheeky human, aren't you?"**_

The tone suggested that that fact wasn't exactly positive and the Trainer flinched. "Sorry…"

"_**No matter. What is it that you seek?"**_

"Cynthia."

"_**I know not of this 'Cynthia' of which you speak. Ask again."**_

There was no time for this game—what kind of answer was the being searching for? "I seek a way to change the future," she blurted desperately. "Please, just show me the way to Cynthia!"

"… _**How interesting." **_Just as in the previous room, a set of massive double doors appeared before the young woman, though these remained shut. _**"Perhaps you will find what you seek, perhaps not. It is entirely up to you."**_

As she yanked one of the doors open with some assistance from Yume, she thought she heard the voice mutter, _**"Two of pure intent in one day… Perhaps the human race has some hope after all." **_

The next room was… A forest. Startled, the Gym Leader faltered for a moment, her head whipping back and forth as she took in her surroundings: a variety of foliage spread in every direction and a cry she didn't recognize echoed from somewhere off in the distance.

Despite that, all was still and silent and goosebumps rose along the bluette's skin. Something was off here…

"_Hi!"_

Clair yelped and recoiled from the brightly glowing object before her. She would have fallen if it hadn't been for her Dragonite's quick reflexes and she gave a grateful smile as a tail wrapped around her waist to steady her.

She turned her attention back to what had startled her and gasped: a tiny, green, fairy-like Pokémon hovered before her, a friendly light in baby blue eyes as it smiled at her. Everyone from New Bark to Blackthorn knew of the legend surrounding the shrine in the Ilex Forest—this was Celebi, the Pokémon that traveled through time and space in order to protect the greenery that flourished in the region.

"Hello…"

"_You're a human! Humans almost never come here! Will you play with me?"_

The young woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't have time. Have you seen another human? She should have come through here recently."

Celebi's antennae drooped and guilt flooded the bluette. _"I saw her… She wouldn't play with me either." _It pointed a tiny finger to the right. _"She went that way."_

"Thank you!"

As she forged through the underbrush, Yume's loud footsteps tromping behind her, Celebi zipped around the partners, laughing gaily. _"What's the rush? _

"I'm looking for someone. I have to stop her before—"

_/ "Everything comes at a price," it warned her. _

_There was no hesitation at all. The woman nodded curtly. "Make it so."_

_There was a crack of lightning and the rumble of thunder. The gems embedded in Palkia's broad shoulders and Dialga's chest glowed as did the golden webbing along Arceus's midsection and lower body. _

"_What is your wish?" All three asked at the same time, their voices one._

"_Bring Clair back. I can't…" The blonde Champion closed her eyes, but a tear slipped out nonetheless and ran down her cheek. "I need her."_

"_So it shall be: a life for a life."_

_Cynthia's body rose into the air, the same light the Legendaries possessed shining out of her eyes and mouth._

"_A life for a life…" she whispered, her body freezing and hardening into slate. /_

The flood of images came unbidden and Clair felt a single tear roll down her cheek.

"_Oh… Well, I'll help!" _With a determined nod, the Pokémon darted off.

"Dragonite. Dra."

"Sorry, Yume, but the trees are getting too thick here," the Trainer replied, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. She was beginning to grow tired, but she couldn't rest. She held up a Poké Ball and recalled her Pokémon before turning and hurrying off in the direction Celebi had gone.

This day was getting more and more incredible and she had the feeling that she hadn't seen anything yet.

* * *

As it turned out, Clair was correct: the next room was a world of endless porcelain interrupted by towering pillars that loomed in a semi-circle that surrounded a sheer cliff with a choppy ocean backdrop.

It was just like her dream and a chill lanced through her, numbing her to the core.

She gasped as she spotted the great Pokémon hovering above the tide, their massive forms glowing as they tapped into the power deep within them.

"_Miss Clair!" _Raynor came bounding towards her, the appendages at the back of his head standing on end. His pupils were a red-rimmed silver, his fangs bared. _"Please, you must—"_

There was a crack of lightning, the roar of thunder. Lights flashed and a wind picked up, whipping past them with enough force to knock Clair onto her backside and send the Lucario reeling.

"_**So it shall be," **_Arceus intoned.

"_NO!"_ Clair screamed. But it was too late.

"_**A life for a life."**_

A form floated before the three incredible beings, dwarfed by their vastness—

"Cynthia!"

The blonde turned her head and the Gym Leader thought she heard her name gasped, brought to her ears on the howling winds.

Then, the Champion's body became stone and she dropped beneath the waves to be swallowed by sea.

The last thing those steel-coloured eyes saw was the person she loved most.

* * *

"No…" Her voice was so small that even Raynor had to struggle to hear it. "… No…"

The Pokémon blinked his eyes, tears he could not shed burning behind them. He rested a paw on the girl's shoulder as she slumped forwards, her bangs falling into her eyes. _"Miss Clair…"_

Tears fell and wet the earth before her. "No…"

"_Miss Clair," _he tried again.

The Trainer shook her head feverishly, a whimper that built up into a wordless howl of despair leaving her throat. She didn't look up, though she could feel the immense presence before her; didn't look up even as the muffled sound of hoof-steps reached her ears.

"_**What is this human child doing here?"**_

Raynor fell to one knee, bowing his head reverently. _"My Lord, this is Clair._"

"_**Ah. **_**You **_**are the one that girl sought so desperately to protect." **_When the young woman didn't look up, the Pokémon tilted its head. _**"Why such sorrow?"**_

The kindness in its voice made the bluette stir. She didn't look up, however. "You had to have known… That I was okay. Why… Why did you—?"

"_**A life for a life. There is no telling when or where, but her life is now your own. I would suggest you use it wise—"**_

"I don't want to hear it!" Now, Clair looked up, dark, red-rimmed eyes burning with a furious light, and Raynor flinched as he witnessed the terrifying maelstrom of aura that whirled around her. "You could have saved her! You knew!"

Lightning cracked and the Pokémon's eyes flashed. _**"You presume too much to speak to me in such a manner, human."**_

The air grew downright frosty, but Clair didn't back down. Despair gave way to white hot rage and she stood up, balling her fists. "_You '_presume too much' by toying with the lives of creatures you have no control over!"

The ground before the bluette's feet glowed a faint yellow, but neither party noticed it, so caught up were they in their emotions.

"_**Do you seek to throw away the life you were given so soon?"**_

That was the last straw. Before the Blessed User of Dragon-types could step forward, however, a beam of light shot up from the soil and she took a reflexive step backwards. As the luminescence faded, a small Pokémon hovered before Clair, bright gray orbs mere inches from her own. Its small white face was topped by a three-pronged headdress that reminded the girl of a star with blue tags hanging from their tips that resembled the prayer tablets back at the temple in Blackthorn. A cheery smile curved the creature's face and the bluette was reminded of Celebi.

"_Hi! I'm Jirachi."_

It was the Wish Granter, according to Entei. Hope made the young woman feel faint. "Jirachi… Can you—"

"_**You will do nothing for this insolent human," **_Arceus thundered.

"_Be nice, Arc!"_

Raynor gasped, taken aback by the familiarity with which the Wish Pokémon was addressing their Creator, but the Alpha Pokémon didn't seem to think anything was amiss.

"_**I will do no such thing."**_

Clair couldn't help but smile: the sight of that tiny body floating up to the immense one so that the little Pokémon could wag a finger in admonishment was ridiculous to say the least.

"_This one's special. Can't you tell?"_

"_**Tch." **_The Original One turned away. _**"I leave you to do as you will. Palkia, Dialga—come."**_

As the three disappeared, Jirachi floated back over to the bluette. _"I know your heart's greatest desire, Clair. I will give it to you just this once."_

"Thank you," she breathed. Her knees became suddenly weak and she dropped back to her knees. "I can't thank you enough."

"_I understand," _the Wish Pokémon chirped, twirling in mid-air. The curved slit in the middle of its body shuddered. _"Just remember, 'You only get one wish, so make sure it's really what you want.'"_

Wait, how had it known she had said that?

Then, the Eye of Truth opened and everything went white.

* * *

"_We'll be watching, Clair."_

* * *

When Clair opened her eyes, she was sitting on her bed with the Champion's head cradled in her lap. Steel-coloured orbs were staring blankly up at her. "Did something just… happen?"

"Thank Mew…" She covered the woman's face with kisses, her heart beating rapidly beneath her breast. She didn't know what she would have done had anything happened to the Champion—couldn't comprehend life without the older woman. And, just like that, those heart-felt sentiments left her in a rush of three words: "I love you."

For her part, Cynthia seemed stunned—so much so that she didn't respond when Clair claimed her lips a moment later. That didn't last for too long, however, and she kissed back with fervor.

"I love you," the Blessed User of Dragon-types repeated, desperately wanting to make the blonde understand that. She kept whispering it between fevered pecks, her hands taking on a mind of their own as they caressed the nubile body beneath fashionable black cloth. "I love you."

Cynthia moaned—a breathy, wanting sound—and she caught Clair's hand and slid it down her body. She was confused, but above all, she was _horny. _"Show me."

It took mere moments for the bluette to strip her girlfriend down and even less time for her to lose her own and straddle that lanky, nubile body. She nipped at the pale column of the blonde's throat, her hands instinctively groping at creamy flesh, and parted her lips to apply suction—marking what was _hers_.

All hers.

"You're *gasp* sure you've never done this before…!?"

The bluette chuckled, but didn't respond, choosing instead to slip a pale pink nipple into her mouth while she rolled its twin between slim fingers.

"Oh, _Palkia…!_"

Cynthia arched, pale thighs parting in a silent invitation for the younger woman to ravish her body entirely.

And she would, but not just yet. She would enjoy the blonde's body to the fullest.

It took only five minutes of petting, licking, sucking, and nipping before the Champion broke down and begged, her voice hoarse from the steady stream of moans that had been leaving, "_Clair…!_"

"Mm?"

One more nip and the bluette slipped her thigh between Cynthia's, a huge, astonished smile spreading across her face when wetness was smeared along its surface as the blonde's hips bucked, grinding her sensitive, swollen flesh against the younger woman.

"Please… _Ah… _Pleasepleaseplease…"

"Please what?"

She ground her thigh into that triangle of damp curls, rubbing up against the woman's throbbing clit, and steel-coloured eyes rolled back in her head.

"_Fuck me."_

At that tone—that commanding, desperately heated tone—wet heat suffused her own nethers and she felt her inner muscles clench eagerly, seeking friction.

There would be time for that later.

Clair slid down the older woman's slim body and, without hesitation, she dove right in, lapping at drenched folds and sampling the flavor that was uniquely Cynthia. The top of her nose rubbed up against the bundle of nerves at the top of the blonde's slit as she did her best to thrust her tongue as deep as she could into the tight wet heat that was the Champion's feminine channel.

As the moans got louder and the thrusting of hips more frantic, the bluette added her fingers to the mix, a low moan escaping her as she felt the desperate pulsation of the woman's inner muscles, felt the way she was pulled deeper inside even as she thrust as powerfully as she could.

Mew, Cynthia was responsive.

"I'm going to…" Her breaths came out in staccato little pants, her voice husky. Pleasure razed her senses, rendering her unable to complete the thought, much less deliver it. "Oh, Clair, I'm—"

With a final, throaty cry, the Champion reached orgasm, multi-coloured lights dancing behind her eyelids as she snapped her eyes shut, muscles going taut, toes curling.

Oh, Palkia, she was going to die. Her body couldn't handle the onslaught of pleasure that threatened to shut down her senses completely, couldn't handle even the threat of the second wave that was fast approaching, brought on by incredibly skilled fingers.

Then… the door burst open.

"_Clair?!" _Lance gasped. "You're okay! You're—" His complexion swiftly matched his hair as he registered the act that he was witnessing and he quickly slammed the door shut.

Cynthia groaned. Lance's entry had been the perfect way to yank her back from the edge of mind-blowing ecstasy. "That's going to suck later…"

Clair shrugged, beyond caring at that very moment. She captured the blonde's lips again, easily wiping away the Champion's troubles away with her talented tongue.

They wouldn't leave this room until she showed the older woman just how much she loved her.

**-End Chapter-**


	14. Epilogue: Conquering the Champion

**-Conquering the Champion-**

Jirachi hovered above a pool in the forest room, the tags on its headdress twirling.

"_What'cha doin'?"_

The Pokémon looked up to see the always-smiling face of its closest friend, Celebi. _"It's Clair."_

"_Huh?" _The Time Travel Pokémon peered into the pool: within its clear depths was an image of a blue-haired girl. Her expression was one of genuine happiness and the striking woman she was with was reaching out to take her hand. _"I remember her! Lord Arceus is still pretty sore about you letting her go."_

"_The delicate balance has to be maintained."_

The pair watched as the Trainers boarded an odd human machine and zipped away, through the crowded cluster of human abodes.

"… _I don't get it."_

"_Get what?"_

Celebi reached up and tugged at one of its antennae. _"What's so special about this human?"_

"_She's pure of heart."_

"_Huh?"_

Jirachi shook its head. _"Those pure of heart are very rare among humans. I am a granter of wishes, so I can sense the desires that drive the actions of others."_

"_I know _that_!" _Celebi interrupted indignantly. _"Don't treat me like a child."_

"_Sorry." _Again, Jirachi shook its head. Sometimes, it couldn't believe that the other Pokémon was hundreds of years old. _"Where was I? Ah. Most humans are full of ill intent. Hidden agendas lie behind every act and they twist their words to fit the moment. This human, Clair, is not like that. She is unafraid to open her heart to others and, when she does, she does so without fear of regret."_

"_Oh…"_

"_Yes. It is hearts like Clair's that purge the Darkness from the hearts of others. Her aura is so strong because she has the potential to affect even Pokémon."_

"_Is that why Lord Arceus was so mad?"_

"_Arc stubbornly believes that we cannot rely on humans to save our kind from their own. He believes that the call of Darkness is too great."_

Celebi frowned. _"I don't think humans are so bad."_

"_No, they aren't," _Jirachi agreed._ "For the most part."_

They turned their attention back to the pool, watching as the Trainers dismounted from their metal beast.

"_What about her mate?"_

"_Who?"_

Celebi pointed at the blonde human. _"Her. The human Clair was looking for."_

The Wish Pokémon frowned slightly. _"Cynthia, I believe. Her heart is still incredibly fragile from the last time it was broken. There is still hope for her, however. Just like the forest, a heart flourishes only when under the correct conditions. It needs to love just as much as it is loved. Those two are good for each other."_

The pool's surface showed the Trainers smiling at one another before a dozen flashing lights, their love for another showing clearly in their gazes. The bluette leaned in and whispered something in Cynthia's ear and the blonde laughed joyously.

"_So long as she is with Clair, her heart will mend."_

"_I like happy endings," _Celebi sighed.

"_Me too."_

* * *

Ever since the Sinnoh League Champion and the Blackthorn City Gym Leader had come out to the public, both young women had been the topic of conversations world-wide; Cynthia had been stunned by the support she had received from her adoring fans and the simple act of acceptance had helped undo years of psychological damage by Helene.

It was tiring being interviewed—interrogated in some cases—and hounded, but Clair had never been happier. The two had been on the road for almost a month together, investigating ruins and rumors, but now responsibility was catching up to the both of them and it was time to return to their respective homes.

But she knew they'd return to each other soon enough.

"Cynthia?"

"Mm?"

The blonde was spooned behind her, her bare skin like silk against Clair's. The hotel they were staying in was small and out of the way, so they finally had a moment to themselves. Raynor was curled at the foot of the bed like a proper loyal pooch—he had refused to leave her side since the incident.

"I love you."

A warm, affectionate chuckle. "I love you too, sweetheart."

The bluette rested her arms over the ones wrapped around her waist. "Stay with me?"

How far she had come.

"Always," the Champion promised.

"Mmkay…" She sounded sleepy and she snuggled closer to her partner.

Clair had conquered her fears and released her heart from the agonizing doubts that had gripped it. The muscle was picking up the pieces and stitching itself together and it was all thanks to the beautiful young woman.

Yes, Cynthia's heart would mend. It was only a matter of time.

And they had all the time in the world… Together.

**-Fin-**

Wooot! I finished two long fics this month. I'm on fire. You know what this means, right?

_-sparkle- Time to work on requests! –sparkle-_

I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with me from chapter one and reviewed every chapter. You know who you are ;) And, of course, my beautiful beta, **Luna Rei**. Thanks, babe! :heart:

Anyone who recognized the Pokémon Colosseum reference gets a cookie.


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